Abduction of a Gryffindor
by Nyakai
Summary: Hermione is kidnapped and her friends plan several unsuccessful rescue missions. It's the most unlikely person who comes to Hermione's aid, but her safety isn't his motive.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter characters, places and things: not mine. I just play with them.

**a.n.** This takes place during the 5th year, although I'm just ignoring the whole Umbridge thread. And also, the Weasley twins' grammatical errors are intentional. :)

**Chapter 1**

Ron impatiently fumbled his hands around in his pockets, making the few Sickels and Knuts he had jingle.

"Come on, Hermione. We've been here an hour already– we're going to miss Hogsmeade," he said with a detectable tone. He, Harry and Hermione were in their Muggle clothes for their trip away from Hogwarts. However, they were on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

"Oh, honestly, Ron," scoffed the girl, "it hasn't even been a half hour." She was on her knees picking certain undergrowth plants and setting them into a small cloth bag. The two boys were standing a yard or two away. Harry was glancing over the Marauder's Map while Ron was busy eyeing the forest.

"Half hour, hour... who cares? It's time taken away from Hogsmeade. Let's go already. You have enough shrubs," the redheaded boy argued. Hermione straightened and looked back at the both of them, perturbed.

"You two have the same exact homework as I do, so you might as well take this opportunity to collect this stuff."

Ron gave a shrug. "Since when have I been known to hand in my Herbology homework?"

At that Harry looked up, grinning, "He's right, you know." Again, Hermione gave a scoffing sound.

"If you both want to go to Hogsmeade that badly, just go. I'll be along soon." The boys exchanged glances.

"I don't think that'd be a great idea, Hermione," Harry said. "I mean, we can't just leave you... here." The girl returned to picking plants.

"I'll be fine. Hagrid's around, anyway."

When Ron looked unconvinced, Harry showed him the Map and pointed to a spot inside the the small portion of forest on the parchment; a moving dot was labeled "Hagrid."

"What's he been doing in there so much lately, anyway?" Ron muttered, his way of ceding. Harry shrugged and Hermione gave no answer at all.

"Well, he's around, so I don't need you two looking after me. Besides, I heard Zonko's Joke Shop is closing a little early today." She paused and only continued after she heard Ron gasp. "If I get this done in time, I'll be waiting in the Hog's Head. If you stay, I might put you to work."

Immediately, the two boys began edging away.

"Well, have fun," Ron said with a quick wave.

"And just when are you two going to work on the assignment?" Hermione called after their retreating backs.

"I'm not!" the redheaded boy cried over his shoulder.

"I was thinking of copying your notes, actually," said Harry with a slightly sheepish expression. Before Hermione could scold them, the boys ran for Hogwarts' gates.

"Honestly," she muttered, shaking her head. Hermione picked up the parchment with the list of Herbology ingredients and checked off the second to last plant. "Now... Crossyllium leaves," she read. There was a picture and description of each ingredient to the right of the list. Scanning the immediate foliage and undergrowth, she found nothing that resembled the picture, which bent and swayed as if a wind was blowing past.

Hermione slipped the bag strap over her shoulder and proceeded a few steps into the forest. The girl knew not to go too far inside, but Professor Sprout _did_ say that all the ingratiates were either well inside the grounds or right on the forest's edge. Anyway, she knew she shouldn't become too paranoid– Hagrid was nearby. In fact, if she wandered much farther into the woods, she might actually run into him.

"Oh, _where_ is it?" Hermione muttered to herself, stepping over a particularly large fallen branch. There were no flowers that had petals which started out lavender and ended in a vibrant purple, or that had leaves of a bluish tint. "They have to be here," she told herself– reassured herself– firmly. This was exactly where Neville had said he had found his Crossyllium. But then again, Neville was known to be forgetful at times, and slightly confused all the other times.

Just as Hermione consulted the list again, a sudden rustling sound caught her attention. It was farther into the woods where the tree branches and the shadows were thicker.

"Hagrid? Is that you?" the girl called. A couple more snapping sounds followed, as if fallen twigs and dry leaves from seasons past were being crunched underfoot. Hermione involuntarily began backing up. Just as she was about to turn and hurry out of the Forest, she saw it. The most perfect Crossyllium flower, standing amongst a patch of blue bells. It was situated between two tall trees a short distance away.

Cautiously Hermione proceeded toward it, constantly checking for Hagrid. Of course, any passing animal could've made those sounds. The girl convinced herself that as spooky as the woods were, they had to have normal, sweet animals. Squirrels, deer, rabbits... The thought of the giant spiders Ron and Harry had told her about back in their second year suddenly popped into her head. But no, if it was a spider around, its eight legs would be making much more noise.

More snaps and rustles could be heard, this time from several directions. One of those directions had been quite near the lone Crossyllium flower.

Maybe the boys had actually come back to check on her. "Harry? Ron, Hagrid– who's there?" An uncertain tone, bordering panic, slipped into her voice as she uneasily glanced around.

A figure stepped out from behind one of the trees nearest the Crossyllium; one foot landed on the flower with a mournful _crunch_. Hermione's fear immediately melted away and was replaced by anger. Her expression settled onto a disgusted look. "Malfoy, what are you doing here?" From the other directions she had heard noises came his lackeys, Crabbe and Goyle.

Draco sauntered forward, his wand rhythmically tapping against his leg. "We just saw your lot hanging around the Forest and wanted to see what all the interest was in. Staying out of trouble, yeah? Or looking for it?" He and his buddies were also dressed in Muggle attire to go to Hogsmeade.

"Nothing of the sort," spat Hermione. She clutched her bag of plants even tighter. "I happen to be working on homework– something _you lot_ are probably not familiar with." She met Malfoy's scowl with a defiant smile. "So you just wasted your time." Hermione turned to leave when Draco pointed his wand at her.

"_Accio bag!"_ he shouted. Instantly, the satchel was wrenched from her shoulder and flew into Malfoy's grasp. It happened so quickly, Hermione barely had time to gasp.

"Give it back!" demanded the girl, taking a step forward. She stopped, though, when Draco backed up and looked as if he might do something as rash as destroy the bag.

He opened it and didn't even try to contain his laughter. "Plants? It's a Hogsmeade weekend and you're out here collecting _plants_? You really _don't_ have a life, Granger." His lackeys snickered at that.

"I am working on the Herbology assignment, if you must know. I'm sure Slytherin was given something like that, too. It had to have been– the only class you actually don't have to do anything in is Potions. Now can you please give it back?" Her request sounded as spiteful as the rest of her comments.

Malfoy quickly rummaged through the bag. "You're right, Granger, we did get the same assignment. Thanks for doing all the work for me."

"Excuse me?"

"Looks like my collecting's done," replied the boy, shaking the bag. "And just in time for lunch in Hogsmeade. Completing homework can really starve a man, y'know?" With a malicious grin, he lead his snickering lackeys back toward Hogwarts.

For as self-controlled as Hermione usually was, she couldn't contain herself this time. She whipped out her wand from her back pocket as she spun to face them. "You evil, foul, beastly waste of a student! You'll give me back my plants one way or another!"

Before she could utter a spell, however, all three boys spun around simultaneously– almost as if they had rehearsed it– and shouted _"Expelliarmus!"_ Not only was Hermione's wand knocked out of her hand, but she was forced back a yard. The girl stumbled to her feet amid a roar of laughter.

"Have fun finishing the assignment, Granger," snickered Malfoy as he and Crabbe and Goyle hurried from the forest.

"Idiots," Hermione muttered. She began searching for her wand with a scowl firmly set on her face. Finally the girl found it, snatched it up, and almost flung it against a nearby tree in her rage. Instead, she violently stabbed it into her back pocket.

"Where's my list?" Hermione sighed, running a hand through her bushy hair. She felt a few leaves tangled in her curls and proceeded to tear them out. While doing that, the girl started wandering about, searching for her Herbology list.

A few fruitless minutes later, she heard more rustling coming from deeper inside the forest.

Hermione busily brushed thick locks of hair over her shoulder. "Go away, Malfoy. The joke should be old by now, even for you."

More rustling. This time from another direction. However, it didn't sound like footsteps. There were too many sounds for that.

Hermione whipped out her wad. "I'm warning you, Malfoy– leave me alone!" The girl gasped when she saw several large figures moving in the shadows, deeper in the forest. They were coming right for her with loud, thumping footsteps. Too many footsteps for humans.

Hermione screamed.

--

It was raining when spurts of kids were heading back to Hogwarts. Harry and Ron couldn't understand how the majority of the students had umbrellas.

"Are we the only ones who didn't know about this bloody weather?" Ron mumbled, holding his over shirt above his head. Harry was doing the same. Even though the rain was unfortunate, it could not bring down their spirits lifted by Hogsmeade.

"I can't believe Hermione missed it. Today had to be _the_ best trip so far," said Harry as they sloshed into the Main Hall. Ron began shaking his wet over shirt, flinging water everywhere.

"Yeah. Poor girl probably got carried away by her homework again. It'd only be the third time this week."

They and the rest of the Gryffindors filed up to their wing, waited several minutes for the Fat Lady to finish her card game with a neighboring picture man, and entered to change into their school robes for dinner.

Harry was back down in the common room before any of his roommates. He was somewhat surprised the large chair close to the fireplace was empty of its usual bushy-haired occupier and the occupier's mountain of books. Two girls, Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, were descending the stairs then, arm in arm, recounting the highlights of their Hogsmeade visit.

"Lavender, wait!" Harry called after the girls had passed him. "Was Hermione up there in your room?" He had already found out what happened when a boy tried to ascend the girls' dormitory stairs.

"No," both girls said, simultaneously shaking their heads.

When Ron finally came down and was told that Hermione was nowhere in Gryffindor tower, they both concluded she had to be at the library. Therefore they went with unbothered consciences to the Great Hall.

Fred and George sat across from them, grinning and talking to each other in the suspicious air of conspiracy. George pulled a piece of parchment from his pocket while Fred supplied a quill and checked off something on what was presumably a list.

"What are you two doing?" Ron questioned as his brothers began shoveling food onto their plates. They paused to hide both quill and parchment.

"Nothing," George said with a grin.

"Yeah, and where's the third member of your quartet?" questioned Fred quickly. Ron rolled his eyes at his brother's attempt to be funny.

"We think she's at the library," Harry said, though only half sounded as if he believed himself. The twins exchanged glances.

"No, mate," said George. "We just come from the library. We saw no trace of Hermione... and believe me, we went all over that place."

Before Harry could look discouraged, Ron spoke up. "Hang on. What were _you_ two doing in the library? And all _over_ the the library for that matter?" His brothers grinned.

"Just browsing," Fred said.

"Okay, she's not in the dorm, she's not in the library, she's not here," listed Harry, slowly taping his fork on his plate at each mention. "Then were could she be?"

"Kitchens?" suggested George. "If she's still on about the house elves."

"Actually, she hasn't brought them up for almost a week... so if you see her, don't mention them," Ron said. The twins chuckled and went back to eating.

Harry cast a cautious glance around the Hall before subtly pulling the Marauder's Map from a pocket. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." A flick of his wand under the table and the map slowly bled onto the parchment.

"That sounds familiar," Fred said in a low voice, grinning.

"All the memories it brings back," George added with a nudge to his brother.

"Good times, good times," they said together.

Ron and Harry were bent over the map, checking hallways, the Gryffindor wing, the girls bathrooms, the grounds around Hogwarts.

"She's nowhere," Ron growled frustratedly. He jerked a flap of the parchment down, almost ripping it, and Harry proceeded to pull the map closer, away from Ron.

"She wouldn't have gone to Hogsmeade this late... d'you think?" Harry asked. He steadily folded the parchment, giving one final check around.

"No, you two should know by now– she's not stupid," Fred said with a smirk. Ron glared at him.

"Shut up. This is serious."

"Serious," the twins repeated with fake solemn nods.

"We left her on the edge of the Forbidden Forest," Harry said, "and that's the only thing not fully on the map."

"You think she's been wandering about the woods all these hours? It hasn't stopped raining since we've been back– I'd think that'd make her come in."

"You left her in the Forest?" George accused, all humor gone from his voice. "Are you two _that_ much of stupid gits?"

"She told us to leave!" argued Ron, now quite bothered by the whole situation. He started stabbing at his food. "You know how annoying Hermione gets when she's on homework mode. _You'd_ have left her, too."

"Yeah, but we would've gone _back_ for her," Fred replied. With a snarl, his younger brother pushed himself to his feet and beckoned Harry to follow.

"Mischief managed," muttered Harry. He got up and bounded after Ron. The twins watched them leave while finally getting to eat their dinner in peace.

"Hey Fred," George spoke up after a few moments. "Whatcha gotta do tonight?"

"Same as you: homework from every class, extra homework from Potions, extra-_extra_ homework from Potions, then that idiot assignment Snape only seems to give us... I forget what it was about already."

"Wasn't that due last month?"

"Probably," Fred snickered.

"So, besides all that, sounds like you got a free night."

"Always do. You got something in mind?"

"Sure. Let's go rescue Hermione," suggested George with a humorous, over-enthusiastic dig of his arm.

"Sounds fun. You have a plan?"

"Yeah. We go to the Forest, find Hermione, bring her back."

"Brilliant. After dessert, though."

"Yeah, of course."

--

Harry and Ron, rounding a hall corner, bumped into Malfoy and his lackeys. The Gryffindors would've walked on without a snark comment except Draco said, "The Muggle-bred's not back? I guess picking flowers takes longer than I thought. Or maybe it's hard just for her kind..."

"What are you on about, Malfoy?" Harry snapped with furrowed brows. Draco shrugged.

"Nothing. Give Granger my regards when you see her." As he and his buddies walked on, Ron pulled out his wand, scowling.

"He knows something," he muttered, and proceeded to follow the three.

----

**Next Update:** Most likely next week; definitely under two weeks.


	2. Chapter 2

"_What are you on about, Malfoy?" Harry snapped with furrowed brows. Draco shrugged._

"_Nothing. Give Granger my regards when you see her." As he and his buddies walked on, Ron pulled out his wand, scowling._

"_He knows something," he muttered, and proceeded to follow the three._

**Chapter 2**

"Oi, Malfoy!" Ron shouted as he stomped after the three Slytherin students. Draco turned and appeared humored when he saw the wand.

"You're not actually going to fight me with that cheap thing, are you, Weasley? You really think you can take me?" The Slytherin boy took an aggressive step forward.

"What do you know about Hermione?" demanded Ron. "What did you do to her?"

Malfoy laughed. "What's it to you?" At that, Harry drew his wand and he and Ron aimed them at Draco. Crabbe and Goyle likewise pointed their own wands at the Gryffindors. They matched Ron and Harry's glares while Malfoy looked as if he were enjoying it all.

"If you did something to hurt her..." Harry threatened.

"Oh, lay off it, Potter. Yeah, I saw her in the forest when she gave me her plant collection, but I don't know what happened after that. She probably got lost," Draco said, then turned to Goyle and added, "In full view of Hogwarts, no doubt."

"Hermione wouldn't give _you_ her homework assignment!" cried Ron, disgusted. He thrust his wand closer to Malfoy's face. "You better give me the truth before I take a page out of Moody's book and turn you into a ferret!"

There was a spark, however faint and quick, of fear in Malfoy's eyes. He remembered that experience well– as did everyone else who had witnessed it. His smug expression returned, though, and he hastily motioned for his lackeys to put away their wands.

"Trying to bully us, Weasley?" Draco said loudly. "You really need to learn to control your temper." Crabbe and Goyle nodded, smirking.

"Shut up!" ordered Ron.

"_What_ is going on here?" a familiar, chilling voice demanded, interrupting the spell Ron was about to cast. The two Gryffindors spun around to see Snape standing there, his condemning gaze piercing them through.

Ron immediately hid his wand. His horrified expression was locked on the professor.

"N... nothing, sir," Harry spoke up quickly. His wand had already been hidden. "Just a misunderstanding." Snape's gaze snapped over the three Slytherins, who were positively beaming with glee.

"Weasley nearly pounced on us. We were just minding our own business when out of nowhere–"

"That's a lie!" Harry shouted, interrupting Draco's oily yarn.

"Control yourself, Mr. Potter," sneered Snape. After a moment's pause to inspect the party again, he added, "Twenty points from Gryffindor for such.. undisciplined behavior." The Slytherins could have melted into puddles of glee upon seeing Harry's and Ron's threatened expressions.

"Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle. You may leave," the teacher continued with a hard gaze locked onto the two Gryffindors. The boys' malicious smiles flickered; they were hoping to hang around and watch the punishment, but they obediently trooped off for their House wing. Ron looked as if he was inching away when Snape shouted, "Weasley!"

The boy stopped immediately and stood stock still. Perhaps the Potions teacher was like a dinosaur and wouldn't notice Ron if he didn't move.

"Intimidating your fellow classmates. Threatening them at wandpoint. That deserve a week's worth of detention. At least," Snape went on in his most condemning tone.

"It was a misunderstanding," Harry said again, only to get the man's chilling stare shot at him.

"Did I ask you, Potter?" Harry tried to match Snape's glare, but with the threat of detention hanging over him, he soon lowered his gaze.

"Where were you going before you... so characteristically... got yourselves into a scene?"

Even though Ron completely detested Snape, he tried not to answer too venomously. "To our House wing. We were in a hurry. We have important things to do."

Everything about the Potions teacher seemed to slow down then. "Oh really? And what do you two consider important?" Snape questioned in almost a drawl. Both boys merely shifted uneasily where they were.

"Well?"

"He... homework," Harry said quickly. Snape folded his hands together with a speed barely faster than a sloth.

"Then you two better get all the homework done you can this weekend, because all next week you have detention with me." With a smirk, Snape watched both Gryffindors hasten away.

"I wish it had been Snape turned into a ferret last year," Ron muttered as he and Harry ascended the stairs to the portrait of the Fat Lady. "I _never_ should've mentioned we were in a hurry!"

"Forget it. Troll club," Harry said to the picture and waited for it to swing open. They climbed into the common room. "I just hope we can find Hermione."

There was practically no one in the Gryffindor wing for almost everyone else was still at dinner. In their dorm, Harry and Ron checked the Marauder's Map again in vain. They gathered a few supplies, like the Invisibility Cloak, and clamored down the stairs. To their surprise, Fred and George were in the common room, holding what looked like traveling cloaks. They were conversing in whispers by the room entrance.

"Planning to run away?" Ron called. The twins looked at him, slightly amused.

"No," said Fred, "but we _are_ planning something." Before their brother or Harry could reply, George said, "Okay, go off now. Save Hermione."

"Be the heroes," added Fred.

"Rack Gryffindor up some points," George said with a smile.

Harry and Ron shot the twins suspicious looks but left the House. Now that dinner was over, the corridors were abounding with students. The two Gryffindors easily slipped out of the school without hassle and hurried across the wet grounds to Hagrid's. On their last check of the Map back in their dorm, they found the groundskeeper to be home.

They impatiently pounded on the hut door, huddled under their own jackets to get as least wet as possible in the constant rain.

"Hold yer horses out there," Hagrid said from inside. There were some rustling noises before Hagrid finally opened the door. A smile quickly wiped away his annoyed expression. "'arry, Ron! I was wonderin' when you'd be out t'see me. Hermione was busy?" The boys exchanged glances.

"That's why we're here, actually," Ron said, uncomfortably rocking side to side in the cold. "We were wondering if you had seen her."

"Well a'course not! I've been in the forest nearly all day. But where are my manners? Come in, come in!" Hagrid moved to the side rather awkwardly and made enough room for the Gryffindors to climb in like wet rats.

"Exactly, Hagrid," Harry said, following Ron in. "This morning Hermione was on the edge of the forest picking flowers for a Herbology assignment and we haven't seen her since."

"And Malfoy knows something," muttered Ron. He glumly ran a hand through his hair, brushing the raindrops off.

"And y'sure she's nowhere in the school?" Hagrid questioned with widening eyes. The boys nodded.

"We thought we'd ask you about it too before going to look for her," Harry said as he reached for the door handle.

"Oh, no yer not!" exclaimed Hagrid with a suddenness that made the boys jump. "This is serious business. If you thought the worst things in there were giant spiders, well, you'll just have another thing coming. I don't want you two going into tha' forest, d'you hear me?"

Harry and Ron gave meek nods and exchanged defeated glances. Harry, however, clutched the Invisibility Cloak hanging over his arm in an undecided way.

"You just leave this up t' the teachers. Now go on back t'your dorm." Hagrid shooed them out of the house and made sure they started back for Hogwarts. The boys were thinking of slipping under the Cloak and backtracking but they noticed Hagrid again exiting his hut, armed with a lantern and a crossbow. He disappeared into the forest followed closely by Fang.

Harry and Ron just stood in the rain. It wasn't falling nearly as hard as before, but it did not take long for them to become completely soaked.

"Think he'll find her?" Ron asked softly, wiping the rain drops from his face.

Harry replied, though his voice was hollow, "Yeah. Yeah, of course. He has to."

"Think we should follow him?"

"Not tonight. I thought he was getting a little angry as we explained the situation. Besides, Fang's a good tracker."

Ron glanced in disbelief at Harry before both turned and shuffled back toward Hogwarts. "We should've never let her stay by herself. Even if we had to work on the assignment as well, we should've never left her alone. I feel like we should be doing _something._"

"Don't feel too bad. Nothing we say will change..." Harry stopped suddenly and tugged on Ron's wet sleeve for him to stop, too. "Hang on... the Time Turner! Hermione used it all third year to be in two places at once!"

"But she gave it back to McGonagal that year, too."

"Exactly!" smiled Harry. His suddenly upbeat air annoyed Ron, who wanted to stay in a lethargic mood. Harry continued in a chipper manner, "We'll just sneak into her office and look for it. It's not like McGonagal would've given it to anyone else."

"You so sure?" Ron muttered. Harry's inextinguishable smile made him sink into an even darker mood. He was beginning to feel offended.

"Well, think about it. Is there really any other student here as responsible, trustworthy and overachieving as Hermione?"

Ron didn't agree with the plan out loud, but he quickly followed Harry back into the school. "Do you even know how to work that thing?"

"Yeah, just spin it a few times and let it go," Harry replied in an unconvincing tone. "And don't be seen by yourself when we go back."

The halls were nearly deserted now and the boys quickly made it to the corridor which held McGonagal's office. Harry and Ron slipped under the Invisibility Cloak and shuffled on to their House Head's door. Just as Harry reached out from under the covering for the door knob, both boys heard McGonagal's voice from inside.

"_What_ were you thinking? It's storming outside! Do you know how dangerous that was? Your parents are certainly going to hear about this!"

Two voices simultaneously answered, "We're sorry."

"Sorry?" cried the teacher. "You were heading for the forest. You're not sorry! You're... mental!"

Harry and Ron exchanged glances. The twins were in McGonagal's office.

"What were you going to do?" McGonagal continued. "Just take a little run around the forest on your broomsticks at night?"

"In the rain," added one.

"Silence, Fred!"

"George, ma'am. _He's_ Fred."

"Hello," an identical voice said mirthfully. At that, McGonagal began chiding some more. Harry and Ron silently and slowly turned and shuffled back up the corridor.

"What d'you think they were doin' out there?" Harry asked, pulling the Cloak off and folding it over his arm again. Ron ran a hand through his ruffled hair.

"When it comes to Fred and George, who knows?"

As they headed back for their House wing, Harry wondered out loud whether they should tell Dumbledore or not.

"About my brothers?" Ron replied with a smirk. "Nah, McGonagal has it all taken care of."

"You know what I meant."

"Yeah. I say... not yet. Let's see what Hagrid can do first. No sense worrying Dumbledore about it." Harry agreed and the boys returned to their dorms with bleak expressions.

--

The next morning when Ron came down to the common room, Harry was already there, distractedly skimming through the_ Daily Prophet_. Lines of worry were etched in his face and he appeared to have the burdens of a man much older than himself. However, it wasn't the paper that made him look anxious.

"Oi," mumbled Ron, rubbing an eye, yawning, and stretching all at the same time. "How long you been up?" Harry put down the paper quickly and jumped up.

"Couple of hours. I thought you'd want to go to Hagrid's as soon as we could. I even tried waking you... you don't get up for anything."

"I _did_ get up. I got up before the sun rose and _you_ were still asleep," the red headed boy said proudly, folding his arms across his chest.

One of Harry's eyebrows rose skeptically. "Yeah? Then what happened?"

"I convinced myself that Hermione going missing was all just a bad dream and went back to sleep," said Ron, not so proudly. He pulled at his knitted turtle neck of Mrs. Weasley's making, mumbling of itchiness, when Harry headed for the portrait entrance.

"Come on, then," he beckoned. "Hagrid's back home– I checked the Map a little bit ago." Ron slowly followed.

"What about breakfast?"

"I've already had it," replied Harry over his shoulder.

They hurried out of the common room and hit a breakfast rush: the second wave of students to get up, between the early risers and the oversleepers. After passing the Great Hall, all the obstructions vanished. However, they did notice near the school entrance three figures– Fred, George, and Professor Snape. The twins had bandanas around their heads and full aprons and gloves; they were scrubbing the hall. When the teacher saw Harry and Ron approaching, he scowled and silently walked away.

"Oi, what's this?" the twins' brother called with a grin. The twins ignored him and kept scrubbing, but Ron didn't leave. Harry inspected the little work they had accomplished already.

"So, you have to do all this for... for what, being outside at night?" he asked.

George dropped his scrub brush into a bucket and wiped his brow. "So you saw us, too?"

"Heard you blokes in McGonagal's office," smiled Ron. Again, his brothers ignored him. Fred looked at Harry.

"I don't think it would've been so bad if Snape wasn't the git who found us," he muttered, soaking his brush in the water. "He really pushed for a hard punishment. He said if McGonagal wouldn't be tough on us, he'd take it to Dumbledore." Fred sulkily splashed the wall with his over-soaked brush and continued scrubbing.

"What were you doing outside last night, anyway?" Harry questioned.

The twins exchanged secretive glances and said together, "Nothing."

"Well, have fun," Ron said quickly. He grabbed Harry's sleeve and dragged him toward the door, mumbling something about wasted time and don't look back. Harry looked back to see Snape slowly approaching and sped up.

"So he found Fred and George last night," said Ron as they walked across the muddy grounds. "You don't think he was there because he saw us go to Hagrid's, do you?"

"If he really saw us, he would've waited to catch us," Harry said, freeing his sleeve from his friend's grasp. He glanced back again to make sure Snape wasn't watching them and found the Potions teacher pointing all around the wall, giving instructions. The twins were looking mutinous.

"What if nothing's happened to Hermione? What if she just felt like leaving for a bit?" Ron questioned. Harry turned back just in time to see a huge, murky puddle ahead and sidestepped it.

"You mean run away?" he replied. "Hermione would be the _last_ person to do that. And she especially wouldn't run into the forest."

"So... no matter the reason she was gone all yesterday, we won't tell any teachers?" asked Ron. A silence followed, the only sound coming from the squishing ground. Finally Harry spoke up.

"I think it should be up to Hermione to decide."

Ron banged on the hut door and again things clattered inside. A moment later Hagrid opened the door.

"Oh, boys. Yer here already..." he sounded a little evasive and Ron immediately folded his arms across his chest.

"Did you find her?" he demanded. Hagrid gave a sad shake of his head. The students exchanged glances.

"I think we should tell Dumbledore," Hagrid told them, "'cause all I found was this." He held up Hermione's broken wand.

----

**Next Update:** Sunday, June 11th

Okay, I discovered something really stupid. If Harry could look up Hagrid on the map, he should've found Hermione somewhere, too, to know whether or not Hagrid was successful. I completely missed that the first time around. Just imagine that was one of Harry's stupid moments, too. LoL.


	3. Chapter 3

_Ron banged on the hut door and again things clattered inside. A moment later Hagrid opened the door._

_"Oh, boys. Yer here already..." he sounded a little evasive and Ron immediately folded his arms across his chest. _

_"Did you find her?" he demanded. Hagrid gave a sad shake of his head. The boys exchanged glances. _

_"I think we should tell Dumbledore," Hagrid told them, "'cause all I found was this." He held up Hermione's wand, which was broken. _

**Chapter 3**

Hermione gave a weak moan as she came to. The back of her head was throbbing and she just felt exhausted and limp all over. How long had she been out? _What_ had knocked her out?

She feebly pushed herself into a sitting position with a sharp hiss of pain. Her left arm was extremely sore. Pulling up the sleeve of her dirtied sweater, she found large, dark, blotchy bruises all around her elbow and a little elsewhere.

Hermione leaned her head back and looked around. She was still in the forest– that was obvious. She was inside a ring of large, looming trees. They must have been growing for nearly a century to have such thick trunks, and they reached impossibly high. Some had grown so close to each other that it looked as if they were starting to fuse together at the base.

They grew straight up, and the gaps between the trunks were definitely large enough for her to get through, but too high up for her to reach. It was like a forest jail cell. The ground inside the "cell" was overrun by large roots, mossy and knarled.

Hermione had been sleeping on an especially large, mossy root and now her clothes were a little damp. She couldn't tell what time it was because the branches and leaves high above her were so thick, light would never be able to trickle through.

Suddenly she heard something outside the ring of trees. Some kind of pounding... exactly what she had heard before she blacked out. Hermione tried to scrunch further against the tree she was leaning against, but her body ached too much to respond.

A shape soared through one gap between trees and landed in the middle of the cell. It didn't even trip on any of the roots. Hermione gasped when the creature trotted closer to her. It was a centaur. The human part looked young and the horse body looked very strong; its hooves made a terrifying pounding on the ground.

Hermione succeeded in shrinking closer against the massive tree trunk, but the centaur could plainly see where she was. He held out a large bowl to her which the girl didn't dare accept.

"Take it," the centaur said after several moments of silence. He again offered it to her, though he held it too high for her to see the contents. Hermione kept her sore hands to herself.

"Why am I here?" she asked softly. "Why did you take me?" The girl was in no way demanding; her voice was meek and her expression– her eyes especially– betrayed her fear. The young centaur studied her carefully, as if determining if she was worthy to be told. He did not appear cruel, but had the natural superior stare of a centaur.

"I did not capture you," he said at length. "I was just given this and told to pass it on to you. So take it."

"Are you feeding me to eat me?" she questioned nervously. The centaur gave a horse-like snort.

"Humans aren't our kind of meat."

"So why am I here? I'm a prisoner, aren't I?"

"Yes, you are our prisoner for the time being, but don't question me further. I'm just supposed to deliver this. _Take it._" His tone wasn't much more forceful than what he had used before, but it made Hermione jump and take the bowl from him. It had an assortment of leaves and weeds in some kind of unappetizing salad.

Hermione looked up to see the creature going back to the center to begin his bound for the high entrance gap. "Who are you?" she called. The centaur ignored her and galloped right towards the fusion mark of two trees. Just when it looked like he would run into the trunks, he jumped. It was the most incredible leap Hermione had ever seen; it reminded her of moves Quidditch players made, unburdened by gravity. The centaur sailed through the gap and Hermione was once again alone. Alone with one sorry excuse for a salad. However, the hungrier she grew, the more appetizing it looked.

--

Harry and Ron stared at the broken wand, horrified.

"That's... that's it? You didn't pick up on a trail or a scent or _anything_?" Ron cried in an accusing sort of way.

Hagrid couldn't have looked sorrier. "I searched all night, down this path, up that one... I only go' back a couple'a hours ago–"

"Was Fang good for nothing, then?" shouted Ron. A pitiful dog whine responded from inside, though it did nothing to soothe Weasley's rising voice and helplessness.

"It was that bloody pet _spider_ of yours, wasn't it? Aerosol... or Aragorn..."

"Aragog," Harry supplied quickly and proceeded to look like he wanted nothing else to do with the conversation.

"He came out of that creepy nest of his to hunt and Hermione was the first thing he found, wasn't she? He dragged her off to feed all his ugly, freakish kids!" Ron shouted, pointing fiercely at the forest. Hagrid's apologetic expression immediately melted into one of disbelief and defensiveness.

"I'll have you know Aragog or any of his children would _never_ come this close t' Hogwarts. And they would certainly _never_ attack a student!"

Ron puffed up with crazed anger then and looked like he wanted to jump into Hagrid's face. "Yeah? Our second year here, we were nearly spider food! Did you even _check_ their nest?" Harry began tugging on his friend's sleeve.

"Ron, c'mon, let's just go," he said slowly. He managed to pull the redhead back a couple of paces, but then Ron stood still, unmoveable.

"I'm taking this to Dumbledore now, an' if you two want t' be of any help, you'll go tell the other teachers."

Ron seemed to be searching for more excuses to argue, but Harry pulled on his arm even harder and forced him to follow. The two began trudging back across the squishy ground, not even noticing the bottom of their trousers were growing even more soaked with each step.

"What... what if she's dead?" muttered Ron in a frightened whisper. He grabbed Harry's shoulders and shook him, "What if we killed her?"

"We didn't, Ron! Calm down!" Harry cried, removing Ron's hands. "And the sooner we find McGonagal, the better." They proceeded into Hogwarts, passed by the twins who hadn't made much progress, and headed down several different corridors.

As they turned down the last hall, they saw McGonagal and Snape talking right outside her office. Both boys stopped immediately out of habit and nearly turned back to hide behind the corner. But Hermione was more important than the fear of anything Snape could bring.

"Professor!" Harry called as he approached, Ron at his heels. Both teachers turned to look. Snape's expression shifted to the look he gave when he was going to deduct points, but he said nothing.

"Professor, it's an emergency," continued Harry. "Hagrid's gone to get the Headmaster and we've come to get you."

"Why? What on earth is the matter?" she asked quickly, wide-eyed. Snape only arched one brow to show the slightest hint of curiosity.

"It's Hermione. She's gone– disappeared somewhere in the forest. Hagrid looked for her all night but only found her wand."

"How long has she been gone, exactly?" McGonagal demanded.

"Since... yesterday," said Harry with a flinch. The Gryffindor House Head looked the most displeased the boys had ever seen.

"We'll have to talk about _why_ you two didn't come forward with this information after I get back," she said strictly, then collected her robes and hurried down the hall. The boys were about to follow when Snape's voice stopped them.

"What exactly do you mean by 'disappeared,' Potter?"

Both students looked at him coldly. A defiant glimmer had crept into their stares now that McGonagal was gone.

"I mean she was there yesterday before Hogsmeade, and then vanished. The only trace of her Hagrid found was her broken wand."

"Yeah, why don't you ask Malfoy about it?" Ron spat in the same tone. "He and his bloody bodyguards saw her last." Without waiting for a reply, the boys turned and bolted down the corridor after McGonagal.

Snape stayed where he was, his mouth set in a tight line. At last, after the longest silence, he muttered, "Malfoy..."

--

Hermione shifted against the flattest tree base she could find, but it was impossible to get comfortable. The big wooden bowl was next to her; she had eaten the few leaves that most resembled lettuce and left everything else. Now the bowl was upside down with Hermione's left arm laying across it. For some reason, the arm only felt good when it was stretched at an awkward angle.

She was trying to get some sleep to ease her utter exhaustion, but she had no luck. The girl especially wouldn't have been able to sleep with that pounding sound. Hermione looked just in time to see a centaur soar through the same gap as earlier and land in the center. He took a moment to search for the prisoner since she had moved about halfway around the perimeter.

He approached Hermione, now offering a water skin and a plate of something she couldn't see. Without hesitation, Hermione's right hand darted forward and grabbed the water. She was absolutely parched and uncomfortably hot. However, opening the skin's lid one-handed was nearly impossible and Hermione, tired as she was, gave up quickly.

"Can you open it for me, please?" she said humbly, holding up the skin.

The centaur cast a quick glance around, as if not wanting to be seen helping a human. He traded her the water for the plate, asking, "What's wrong with your arm?" He didn't even try to hide his condescension.

"I don't know. Do you have anyone who can look at it?" Hermione asked a little more boldly. However, humility was shot back into her with the stare the centaur gave her. It was an obvious "no" with an edge of unnecessary cruelty. He handed the opened skin back.

"How long am I going to have to stay here?"

"I'm not told the details of the plan. I just bring in what they tell me," replied the centaur with a tone of finality. One of his front hooves impatiently pawed the ground, scraping over fat roots and thick moss. Just as he turned to leave, Hermione spoke up again.

"I... I can't eat this," she nearly whispered. "I know centaurs love raw meat, but it's not... healthy for humans." The girl cautiously began lifting up the plate with the two small slabs of uncooked meat, offering it back.

The centaur stared at her with strange disbelief. "You expect me to return this and have it cooked? To wait hand and hoof on a _prisoner_?" Even with the fuss, he took the plate, though waited expectantly for her reply.

"No... not really, I don't think," she stuttered quickly. "But if I'm to stay here, I think you should at least make sure I stay well."

"Prisoners' health is of little importance to us," he replied with a superior stare.

"'Us?'" repeated Hermione. The centaur snorted and turned to leave before she could say anything else.

--

Harry and Ron paced outside the stairs to Dumbledore's office. They had tried all the passwords collected over the years but were denied access each time. It felt like they were kept waiting for hours, though in reality, not even twenty minutes had passed.

They were startled when the stairs began turning. Dumbledore, McGonagal, Hagrid, Flitwick, and Argus Filch descended, the caretaker holding Mrs. Norris. The faculty immediately began dispersing down corridors and seemed to ignore the boys. All except McGonagal.

"Professor, what's going on?" Ron questioned when he realized someone was giving him attention.

"We're going to look for Hermione now–"

"Hagrid did that _all night_ and got nothing!"

"Mr. Weasley, calm down!" the professor barked. Ron backed up a step and slipped part way behind Harry as their teacher repositioned her collar. "Now, we know a few more tracking spells than _Professor_ Hagrid does," she said, looking at Ron as she emphasized the title, "so we expect to find her shortly." She gave the students a reassuring glance before hurrying off after Dumbledore and Hagrid.

The boys didn't say anything to each other, they just began aimlessly walking. Somehow they ended up at the school's entrance next to Fred and George, who still hadn't made much progress on cleaning the wall. It seemed the twins had taken a break ever since Snape had left. They were sitting against the dry part of the wall, legs out in front of them and crossed at the ankles.

"So now what are you up to?" George questioned pleasantly. Harry's shoulders slumped even more.

"The teachers just went off to look for Hermione..." he said quietly, sounding as if he were in a daze. Ron scuffed a foot on the floor in a melancholic way.

"So what are you still doin' here?" asked Fred, whose quizzical stare was mimicked by his twin.

"What? Where do you expect us to be?" Ron muttered with a hard glare. The twins shrugged simultaneously, still smiling.

"When have you ever sat on the sidelines and let others– teachers especially– have all the fun?" George asked.

"Or take all the credit?" added Fred. Ron's expression grew even angrier.

"This is totally different. Hermione's in real trouble."

"Like she was all those years ago with the troll?" replied George.

Fred nodded, saying, "You didn't let the teachers handle that. You took that matter into your own first-year hands. That's optimism, right there."

"And look how you've changed," George said, a mocking grin adorning his features. Harry and Ron exchanged glances and took off down the hall, headed for their House wing. The twins watched them sprint, still smiling.

"Warms me heart to see them wanting to help a friend," said Fred.

"Aye, that it does."

"Too bad they don't stand a chance."

"Eh, they're young," replied George. "They'll get over it."

--

Snape stomped through a dense patch of underbrush and ducked under a low hanging branch. He remembered that branch had caught him off guard the last time he had come this way. His wand was safe in a hidden pocket of his dark robes; he didn't need it. Tracking spells wouldn't work here, not even the strongest ones he knew. The other teachers would have a hard time finding Hermione, for there were so many barriers and anti-spells set up, it would keep the faculty on a wild goose chase for hours.

Luckily, Snape knew exactly where to go. It took him more than an hour of stumbling, trudging, and on some occasions climbing, to get to one of the darkest parts of the forest. Snape's robes and greasy hair blended in perfectly, but his face stood out like a faint light.

When he reached a dense grouping of trees, two centaurs stepped out from the deeper shadows, making Snape halt. Their murderous expressions faltered upon seeing the professor, and one stepped back a pace.

"Where is he?" Snape demanded, his stare boring into them. "Where is Malfoy?" The centaurs exchanged looks and the taller one nodded his consent. They turned with surprising speed for such large creatures and led him a stretch more to a camouflaged cave, covered by moss and low hanging branches. Other centaurs were around the cave mouth, but they hardly gave Snape a second glance.

Right inside the cave was the white-haired object of Snape's search, talking to the head centaur. Malfoy looked at the professor with something that resembled a defiant inquiry.

Snape glowered at that before muttering, "Lucius, what have you done?"

----

Dun dun DUN! ...who figured it was really Lucius and not Draco the whole time?

**Next Update:** Sunday, June 18th


	4. Chapter 4

**a.n.** Very sorry this was late. I didn't have it done by Sunday afternoon and in the evening I went to my aunt's house and just came back home today. So I quickly finished the chapter and posted it. Key word: quickly. So if there's a bunch of typos... don't be too harsh on me. LoL.

BAH! I meant to have this updated last Wednesday, but for some reason, ff wouldn't let me upload it for days and days. Now it's finally fixed... and I have no idea what caused that problem in the first place. But here's the chapter, finally. Thank you all for your patience. :)

----

_Right inside the cave was the white-haired object of Snape's search, talking to the head centaur. Malfoy looked at the professor with something that resembled a defiant inquiry._

_Snape glowered at that before muttering, "Lucius, what have you done?" _

**Chapter 4**

Hermione's stomach growled so menacingly that she could've sworn she heard nearby birds take flight. She was suffering from hunger pains and was impatiently waiting for the return of her meal. How long did it take them to cook a couple of pieces of meat?

The girl thought her stomach was again giving a rambling protest when she realized it was coming from outside her cell. In jumped the centaur, the plate skillfully balanced on one hand. He trotted over to her, a harassed expression consuming his face.

"Here, Prisoner," he muttered as he nearly dropped the wooden plate onto her. Luckily Hermione caught it in time and brought it down safely into her lap. She gave a confused glance up at the centaur when she found only one meat slab, asking, "Weren't there two...?"

"The cook wouldn't do both. He felt that was more than a prisoner deserved," he replied evenly, unmoved by her pouting.

"I have a name, you know. I'm Hermione. What's yours?" the girl asked with genuine interest. Her initial fear of the creature was greatly diminished, however she was still wary of his mood swings and all the others that gave him orders. She was especially unhappy with the cook at that moment.

The centaur replied hesitantly, "Erebos." A hint of regret flashed across his face before he spun around and galloped for the entrance.

Hermione was already occupied with her food. She didn't even care that she had no eating utensils or that she could only use one hand. She scarfed the meat down in no time and was still hungry. Plus the water skin was almost empty. But the girl wasn't about to complain again. Not to centaurs.

--

Erebos trotted back to the caves now that his job was done for the time being. Before he reached the abode, he found a group of centaurs blocking the path, talking low and glancing back to the nearby caves.

"What's going on?" Erebos asked one of his friends, a shiny black centaur.

"A teacher from the human school arrived and is arguing with the man Voldemort sent."

"A teacher was allowed through here?" Erebos nearly shouted. To allow a human who wasn't a prisoner into the caves, their hideout, was against nearly all the principles the herd had adopted, and Erebos, being still a new member, was a stickler for the rules.

"He's been here before, I've heard," his friend replied. "He's more on our side than theirs."

--

Lucius Malfoy was wearing one of the smuggest expressions Snape had seen in a long time.

"Severus, I wasn't expecting you," he drawled in a manner reminiscent of his son. Lucius idly fingered his serpent staff, giving the teacher a curious yet dangerous look.

"I believe this plan was decided against long ago, Malfoy. The Dark Lord couldn't have possibly given you permission," Snape said, his seemingly pleasant tone underlined with iciness.

"No, as I recall it, _you_ were the one who decided against it and somehow persuaded him to agree with you," replied Lucius with a malicious grin.

"Who gave you permission for this?" barked the professor. The centaur leader, who had quickly been forgotten in the argument, stomped a hoof on the cave floor, a sharp echo answering. Snape's head snapped toward him and he quickly ordered, "Umahone, stay out of this!"

"When the Dark Lord sees I have completed the plan," Malfoy spoke up, "he won't care about this permission nonsense." He gave Severus a superior stare, just daring him to reply, and turned back to the centaur leader as if the discussion was over. However, Snape persisted.

"This is far too risky, Lucius– it's why you were never given consent in the first place. Dumbledore and other teachers are out looking for that student right now! It's only a matter of time before they break past your spells." Now it was Severus' turn to wear the superior expression.

Something on Malfoy's features seemed to twitch, and he thumbed the head of his cane almost impatiently. However, he regained his calm facade and accusatory stare. "Are you saying you want me to give back the girl and leave? Whose side are you on?" Without waiting for a reply, Lucius approached the teacher and whispered so as to not be heard by Umahone, "I know over the years it has been quite the challenge trying to figure out where your loyalties _really_ lie. You claim to be a spy for Voldemort, but your actions seem to show you as a spy for Dumbledore."

Snape stood a little straighter, his eyes piercing into Lucius. "I owe you no explanation of my actions."

"Then I'll let them speak for themselves. If you try to hinder us further, I'll know you are against our cause. But if you _are_ on our side, then I would think you would try to help us by misdirecting those bumbling teachers even more," said Malfoy, to which Snape sneered.

"I'm sure the Dark Lord will love to discover what you've been doing behind his back," threatened the teacher. There wasn't the slightest hint of a bluff in his stare.

Lucius' eyebrows raised in something resembling amusement. "The ends justify the means, Severus. And by the time this is all over, all the Dark Lord will see is my grand achievement." He moved to return to the centaur leader, but looked back at Snape. "Your argument will also lose credibility if I prove your disloyalty... a second achievement to justify the means."

--

Harry and Ron trooped back down to the front hall, each carrying a backpack and trying not to look suspicious. The twins were still idling, playing some variation of "I spy." They quickly ceased when they saw the fifth years.

"So, what's the plan?" George asked with mock inquisitiveness. They both laced their fingers together and placed their hands on a raised knee, looking surprisingly intelligent.

Ron shifted his backpack strap to the other shoulder. "Not get caught. So don't tell anyone we left." The twins shrugged.

"Of course not," said Fred. "We want more House points just as much as you." At that, they got the full blast of Ron's glare.

"You think this is just about the _points_?"

"Did we say _just_ about the points?" they asked together, exchanging glances. Ron shook his head, venting an exasperated sigh and continued on, out of the school. Harry followed after a farewell wave to the twins.

"I can't believe I'm related to them," muttered Ron as they headed for the forest. "They're so bloody annoying sometimes."

Harry smirked. "I'd take them. I've always wanted brothers." He glanced back to the large entrance and was somewhat surprised to see the twins had moved. They were now standing in the doorway, watching Harry and Ron.

George folded his arms across his chest. "Think this is it?"

"They were acting guilty enough," snickered Fred.

"Right then. Let's go."

--

Hermione was startled awake when a centaur crashed into the cell. She looked wildly yet groggily around until she saw Erebos trotting over to her, holding a new water skin. The girl was quickly rid of sleepiness as she searched for her old skin to trade.

"It seems people are looking for you," he said as the skins were swapped. Hermione was too parched at the moment to say anything, and her full attention was bent on opening the lid. She found she still couldn't. With a frustrated huff, Hermione offered it back to the centaur, who looked slightly displeased.

"You still can't get into a water skin?" he chided, but took it back and opened it for her nevertheless. She smiled appreciatively upon receiving it.

"Are you this demanding with your own kind?" Erebos asked as the girl ungracefully glugged the water.

Hermione drank for nearly a minute, then finally, just when the centaur was wondering if she had drowned, put down the skin to answer. "Back at Hogwarts, I'm not kept in a cage. So I can get what I need mostly by myself without having to bother anyone." She gave a pleasantly accusatory grin and drank some more from the skin. Erebos sneered slightly before turning back to the center. He pawed at a mossy root, getting his footing for the gallop, when Hermione asked, "How long am I to stay here?"

The centaur looked over at her with a superior stare, like he knew something that she did not. His tail swished impatiently. "Instead of telling you, why not just bring you out and let you attend our meetings? Maybe our leader will assign you a job, too. How's that?"

Hermione blinked, a confused and slightly stupid expression plastered to her face. "Are... are you being sarcastic?" Erebos snorted.

"Of course. Voldemort's yes man would have my hide if I let you out– or told you any of the plans." At Hermione's stunned expression, the centaur again pawed the ground and then galloped for the high gap.

"V... Vol..." Hermione couldn't even say it. Her eyes were glazed over, but her features clearly showed fear. "They must be after Harry!"

--

Snape was lurking not too far from the caves, appearing as if he was working on more spells to keep the teachers going in circles. His attention was captured when a handful of centaurs galloped down an overrun path nearby. A second group wasn't too far behind. The teacher stalked over to the barely visible trail and stopped the last centaur, the black horse one, with a flick of his wand. Snape cautiously stepped out from the thicker parts, looking around suspiciously.

"What's going on?" he questioned. The centaur wriggled against his invisible hold, looking furious.

"Human! Release me!" he growled. His horse tail snapped about wildly.

"Is this some errand Malfoy is sending you on?" asked Snape in an equally dangerous tone. He held his wand closer to the centaur's face and the creature seemed over so slightly intimidated by it.

"We do not follow the white-haired human. We only obey Umahone. But there's a disturbance nearby and we have been called to help. Now release me!" The centaur tried to fight his way past Snape's magic again.

"What kind of disturbance?" demanded the teacher.

"I don't know– we got a signal from one of our scouting groups– they need our help. Now release me!"

Snape gave a flick of his wand and the black centaur bounded away, after the rest of his group that was now long gone. The teacher turned and began walking the opposite way, back toward the camp which by now would be nearly deserted. He slipped his wand back into his robes and cast around more suspicious glances.

--

Hermione repositioned the upside-down wooden bowl to ease her left arm. It was still stretched at an awkward angle, bit it had been numb for awhile and now it was beginning to hurt again.

She unzipped her sweater, though she was chilly. Hermione hadn't bathed in a day and she just felt grimy and dirty. If her left arm would have allowed, she would have taken her sweater off.

The girl suddenly realized there was noise coming from a gap nearby, but far above her head. She immediately began thinking of what the meal could be this time and hoped it was more filling than weeds and actually cooked. A dark shape, small compared it Erebos, dropped down into the cell. When it turned to face her, Hermione started.

"P... Professor?" she cried in hesitant disbelief.

--

Two Gryffindor fifth years suspiciously crossed the school grounds and walked along the edge of the forest.

"Hermione was picking flowers... over there," Harry recalled, pointing. "So we were standing _there._ And to not be seen by anyone, we should go... here." He found a large tree with low hanging branches and slipped behind it. "You can see everything from here," Harry told Ron, who was standing on the edge of the forest.

"So we can't be seen by anyone?" Ron asked. His brows were furrowed and he watched his friend in a distrusting manner.

"Yes," nodded Harry. "Now here." He pulled a long, dangling necklace out of his backpack and draped it over both him and Ron.

"Y'sure you know how to use that?" Ron asked, eyeing the Time Turner uneasily. Harry seemed to be figuring out which way to hold it.

"Sure," he said halfheartedly. "It took Hermione and me three turns to go back to morning. So to go back a whole day... I guess I'll try six."

"You _guess_?" repeated Ron, voice cracking. Just as Harry started turning the necklace, two bodies sprung up between the boys– Fred and George.

Ron would have protested if he had not been looking this way and that at all the rapid changes. The sun was flying backwards, people came and went across the grounds, animals ran in reverse. The moon appeared briefly before yesterday rewound itself. They saw Harry and Ron trooping to Hagrid's in the distance, Snape catching the twins mounting their broomsticks and several appearances of their classmates as the sun continued soaring backwards.

Finally everything stopped. Harry made to take off the Time Turner when he realized two extra Weasleys had joined them.

"So," said Fred, ducking under the chain draping from Harry and Ron's shoulders, "_this_ is what the past looks likes." Ron ordered for his brother to shush and pointed farther into the forest, a grave expression masking his face. Hermione was stalking through the forest. looking for more flowers on her list.

"So what you gonna do?" George whispered to Harry as all four boys peeked out from behind a tree.

"Gonna bring her back to Hogwarts right now," muttered Ron as he stepped out, cracking several twigs underfoot. Fred quickly grabbed his little brother and pulled him back behind the trunk.

"Are you mad?" growled the younger Weasley, struggling to break free of Fred's grasp.

"No, _you_ are," George said in a low voice. "Y'can't just go traipsing off, changing the past. You'll change everything!"

"Everything that has happened so far to tell you Hermione's in trouble would completely go to pot if you run out there all mental like that," added Fred with a serious stare.

"But if Hermione is taken back to Hogwarts now, then it'll all be okay," Harry said quickly, finally glancing away from Hermione. The twins shook their heads simultaneously.

"How you two have survived this long in school is beyond us," sighed Fred. Again, Ron tried to break free and make a run for it, but Fred pinned him to the tree even harder.

"Getting Hermione out of the forest is the _last_ thing you'd want to do, mates," George said matter-of-factly. "We should at least see what happens to her."

"It's all Malfoy!" growled Ron.

"And there he is," Harry whispered, once again peering around the tree. The other three Gryffindors looked as well to see Draco holding Hermione's plant bag. He and his lackeys began walking away when the girl began yelling at them. All three Slytherins turned, shouting a spell, and knocked Hermione back. Even then the twins restrained Ron from chasing after them.

"So it wasn't Fabio," smirked Fred a minute after the boys had left.

Suddenly, they heard pounding sounds– thunder-like rumbling– and all four could've sworn they saw a dark shape dart past much father into the shadowed forest. Hermione's scream brought their attentions back to her and they saw a centaur next to her and one in front of her. It didn't look like she noticed the one to her side, and that black centaur was the one to attack her. He had a thin stick, but he hit her upside the head with it so hard that all four boys clearly heard it. The centaur in front picked her up and began to gallop away.

"So," breathed George, "centaurs." Fred finally let Ron pull away.

"_Now_ can we go after her?" he shouted with a face redder than his hair.

"This is much worse than Malfoy," muttered Fred with a hint of sympathy.

"Of course it is!" Harry cried, now just as furious as Ron. "Now let's go and get her! I'm sure we won't be in danger of screwing up the past anymore!"

"Now it'll be better to change the future as fast as possible," said George fervently. Ron dragged his hands through his hair, venting a scream.

"_Now_ what are you on about?"

"Haven't you learned anything about centaurs?" Fred asked quickly, nearly in a demanding voice. He didn't give the fifth years time to answer. "They're mostly quick-tempered beasts, doing whatever they want. They're most known for drinking, thievery, and rape."

----

**Next Update:** Um... soon?

That might seem a stupid place to end a chapter, but I go by my little notebook. I was at the end of a page, so I ended the chapter. XD;

And I hope the double exlcamation point and question marks show up... I tried it before and only the exclamation point showed. So if a line looks like it should be a question but it ends like an exclamation, the ff posting thing deleted one of them. :(


	5. Chapter 5

**a.n.** Haha, wow. This is late. My sincerest apologies. From now on, I hope that my updates will be longer than a week, but under two weeks. Yeah, we'll see how that goes.

Okay, I am going to try something different here. I'll switch between past and present. Instead of the normal dash, there will be -.-. when I'm changing times. Hopefully there won't be any confusion…but Hermione will be in the present while Harry and the Weasleys will be in the past. That's not confusing, right?

_A dark shape, small compared to Erebos, dropped down into the cell. When it turned to face her, Hermione started._

_"P... Professor?" she cried in hesitant disbelief._

_--_

_"Haven't you learned anything about centaurs?" Fred asked quickly, nearly in a demanding voice. He didn't give the fifth years time to answer. "They're mostly quick-tempered beasts, doing whatever they want. They're most known for drinking, thievery, and rape."_

**Chapter 5**

Both Harry and Ron wore speechless expressions for a few moments, then came to their senses and glanced all around.

"They went that way," Harry said, pointing. He and Ron picked up their backpacks, wandering that way.

"Wait… Malfoy," said Ron abruptly. He looked back toward Hogwarts momentarily.

"You blokes go after Hermione," George said, motioning his hands to shoo them off. "We'll take care of him, then come give you back up."

Ron was already hurrying farther into the forest after the centaurs as Harry edged after him, still looking at the twins. "How will you find us?"

"Tracking spells, of course," they said, simultaneously pulling their wands out of their pockets. That was good enough for Harry. He immediately took off after his friend without another glance back.

-.-.

Hermione eyed Snape warily as if he were an angry centaur. She tried to edge away, but either from fear or weariness, her body was unresponsive.

Snape cast another look about and whipped out his wand. A gasp came from Hermione.

"Stay back!" she ordered in a much shakier voice than she would have wanted. The professor stalked forward, undaunted.

"Keep your voice down, Miss Granger," muttered Snape.

Hermione gave little heed to the teacher; her mind was resounding with Erebos' mention of a man sent by Voldemort. Was Snape in charge of the centaurs? Was he the reason of her capture? The girl figured it best not to ask. Instead, she redoubled her effort at trying to scoot away.

"Leave!" cried Hermione in a louder voice that still rang with fear. With a couple of surprising bounds, Snape was at her side with a hand over her mouth.

"Shut _up_, Granger!" he demanded in a whisper. She gave a muffled reply, nothing of which was understandable.

"I will let go now and if you are still incapable of keeping quiet, I won't hesitate to use a muting spell!" threatened the teacher with his piercing glare. He released his grip and almost looked relieved for the briefest moment when she didn't scream.

Snape stood. "Get up. We need to be quick." Hermione didn't twitch a muscle.

"You're the yesman You-Know-Who sent, aren't you?" the girl questioned in a meek voice. Snape's stare hardened more– if that was even possible.

"How did you hear anything about that?" he muttered. Hermione merely blinked. Snape uttered a growl under his breath before glancing all around yet again.

"Nevermind. I'm just one of the professors looking for you. Now get up. The more time we spend here, the greater the chance we won't escape unseen."

The girl's expression now held less skepticism, though some remained. Hermione slowly, carefully, pushed herself to her feet, barely using her injured arm at all. She had half the mind to take the wooden bowl with her, but Snape had already grasped her sleeve and was now pulling her away.

"Wait… c-can't you fix my arm?" Hermione questioned softly. As she was being towed along, the girl tried her best to keep her arm from jiggling and then didn't allow her screams to escape her throat when pain ripped through her arm.

Snape was busy trying to find the lowest gap between trees but managed to mutter, "What's wrong with it?"

"It's sprained or… something. I don't think it's broken, though it hurts like it's broken–"

"I'm not a doctor, Miss Granger. Your injuries will have to be taken care of in the infirmary," said Snape distractedly. All of a sudden he stopped, inspecting the gap above him. "This will have to do," he said.

-.-.

Harry and Ron hurried down an overrun path, following a thin, wispy line floating several feet off the ground. The boys had learned a tracking spell several days ago in Potions, although it was weak. All they needed was something of Hermione's– and luckily they found her wand. Ron discovered it, actually, by stepping on it and snapping it in two.

Now they were following the ghostlike line her wand sent. What felt like ages later, both boys stopped at a fork in the trail. The ghost line veered off to the left, but Harry tapped Ron's arm and pointed to the right.

"Hang on… doesn't it look like _that_ path has been used more?" he questioned. Although the trail in question was darker, Harry and Ron could plainly see the grass and weeds were trampled while the path they were directed to take looked like it hadn't been used in ages.

"That figures," muttered Ron. "Of course Snape would teach us a spell that doesn't work right."

"Maybe we have to redo it every so often so the tracking doesn't… wander," Harry suggested, shaking his wand and letting the trail dissipate.

"Or learn more than basic-level spells," Ron said. His friend said the spell again but the wispy line veered off in the wrong direction again.

"I wonder what the teachers were using," he sighed. With a huff, Ron began stomping off down the darker right path, his wand held out in front of him.

"Well, you can wait here a whole day until they come around and ask them."

"You don't have to be a git about it," Harry muttered, following.

--

Fred and George meandered back to Hogwarts, trying to recall where they would have been that day.

"We went to Hogsmeade rather late… during lunch," George said. His twin nodded.

"So right now, we're still here."

"And we saw Malfoy on our way to town."

"Right, but we didn't see ourselves," said Fred. "So we shouldn't have too much to worry about." Just as he said that, the twins passed Angelina, who was arm-in-arm with Katie Bell. They were dressed to go to Hogsmeade and Angelina was giving the boys a confused look.

"Didn't I just see you back in the common room?" she asked, stopping. The twins exchanged glances.

"Yes," they said simultaneously. Angelina continued to stare.

"See you in town," chirped Fred, winking, before both hurried past the girls.

"_That's_ what we have to worry about," George told his twin, looking cautiously around.

They walked on, unnoticed by the few students from other Houses that were on their way to Hogsmeade. Therefore it was easy to find Malfoy, not only because of his hair, but also because he and his two followers were the only ones headed for the moving staircases. Malfoy was carelessly swinging the plant bag, saying something to his lackeys to which they laughed.

The twins stopped and stayed out of sight when the Slytherins reached the stairs.

"So, what's the plan?" George questioned.

"I guess we rescue… Hermione's plants," replied Fred, intently watching the bag.

"And… what should we do to Malfoy?"

"Are you mad? And get even _more_ punishment from Snape?"

"Technically," George said, "we haven't had any punishment yet."

"Still, it feels like it was just yesterday."

"Although it'll really be tomorrow."

"Odd, isn't it?" Fred mused. He nearly doubled over when George whacked him in the stomach for attention, then pointed to the stairs which were absent of Slytherins. The twins edged forward and found the three fifth years near the top of the stairs, waiting from them to move.

"So, we're not beating them up, but we're supposed to… teach them a lesson of sorts?" George checked.

"And rescue the plants," added Fred. With that, the twins zipped onto the bottom of the staircase just as it began to move.

-.-.

Snape dropped from the tree cell gap to the ground, then motioned for Hermione to follow. The girl edged herself into a sitting position and eyed the long drop warily.

"I can't, Professor. Can't you use your wand and–"

_"Keep your voice down!"_ the man hissed. He glanced around. "I can't use too many spells; precautions have been set up. I am pushing it as it is."

Hermione merely leaned forward to gauge her fall. Her eyes widened and her arm painfully protested.

"Quickly, Granger," the teacher prodded, a stressed tone slipping into his voice. They both looked off to the side when faint hoof-beats echoed further down a trail. Snape motioned for the girl to jump down immediately, glaring at her when she gave a pathetically helpless look.

"I really don't fancy any more pain," Hermione whimpered, her voice dropping as the hoof beats grew louder.

"Fine, then I'll catch you– just jump!" Snape appeared on the edge of pulling his greasy hair out. When the girl continued to hesitate, Snape added, "If you don't jump _right now_, I will deduct _two hundred_ points from Gryffindor!"

"What?"

"Shall I make it three hundred?"

At that, Hermione gave a mouse-like squeak, slipped off the gap and dropped down. Like he said, Snape caught her under her back and knees and set her on the ground. All she could do was hug her injured arm which was now exploding with pain. The girl was so distracted that she didn't even notice how close the hoof beats sounded now. All she saw was black robes rustling in front of her and barely registered Snape telling her not to make a sound.

The professor easily hid Hermione behind his back, especially since her bushy hair was pulled into a ponytail. He stood with his wand at his side; none of the centaurs knew magic was hindered here and Snape was going to use that as much to his advantage as possible.

A young centaur trotted into the clearing carrying a plate. He nearly reared upon finding Snape in his path. The creature gave a snort and a heavy, impatient stamp of his hoof.

"Human, out of my way!" he ordered in fine centaur fashion. "The white-haired one by the caves is looking for you."

Hermione's head shot up upon finally recognizing Erebos' voice. She made to creep around Snape but found his elbows prevented her from moving out from behind him. When she tried to push past his wandless arm, his elbow shot back and jabbed her head. Other than letting out a faint squeak, Hermione remained quiet.

When Erebos, wearing an aggravated expression, looked as if he would trot around Snape upon seeing the man wouldn't move, Snape quickly spoke up. "Why don't you lead me to him?"

The centaur stopped, glaring. "He's by the caves," Erebos repeated evenly. "You know where they are."

"What does he want to see me about?" the professor asked, again making Erebos stop. The centaur's tail swished impatiently and he didn't even try to hide his annoyance.

"He didn't tell me. My only job is to feed the prisoner, and if you hinder me further, Umahone will hear of this." He stomped a front hoof for emphasis.

Grimly, Snape acknowledged he had run out of means to stall and the centaur wouldn't be deterred. He raised his wand. Erebos balked, his expression somewhere between confusion and anger.

"Human–"

_"Avada–"_

"NO!" came the cry from behind Snape's back. Hermione appeared on his wand side, grabbed his arm and forced it down. "Don't– not to him!"

Erebos reared and let out something resembling a horse whinny. He spun on his hind hooves, dropping the plate, and bolted back up the path. Snape pushed Hermione off his arm, pointed his wand and shouted, "Imperio!"

The centaur halted immediately. Hermione looked from Erebos to the Potions professor as she cradled her injured arm. He went from one Unforgivable Curse to another. She watched with a sinking feeling as Snape stalked toward the centaur and told him something Hermione couldn't hear. Then Erebos galloped off down the path without so much as a glance back.

Snape beckoned for the girl to follow and she slowly obeyed. "Quickly, come," he ordered when she hadn't even shuffled halfway over.

"I thought you said you couldn't use spells," she said once she reached him. Snape grabbed her uninjured arm and pulled her along the path. Hermione nearly had to jog to keep up with his long strides, and all that movement did nothing to alleviate the pain in her injured arm.

"Weak spells can't be used here– too many counter spells are set up. The sooner we get out of here, the better."

"And who is waiting for you by the caves?" the girl questioned between breaths and through painfully gritted teeth.

"No one of your concern, Miss Granger," Snape said quickly.

The pair suddenly stopped when they heard the sound of faint shouting in the distance. Pounding could be heard, like a powerful thunderstorm still miles away. Hermione glanced up at Snape and was horrified to see the teacher was looking just as worried.

"Quickly," he muttered, pulling Hermione along even faster. The girl whimpered as her arm bounced with each step.

"How… how did they find ow!-out so quickly?" she asked, grimacing.

"Spells have been set up here to alert the spell caster when other magic has been used," Snape replied distractedly.

"But centaurs aren't creatures to use mag–" Hermione was interrupted when the teacher suddenly stopped. She halted as well, but Snape pushed her forward and pointed further down the barely visible path.

"Go!" he ordered in his authoritative teacher voice, matched only by his domineering stare. Before Hermione could reply, he drew his wand and began backtracking.

The girl gave a desperate huff as she stood there cradling her arm. "What's going on?" she muttered to herself. When Snape disappeared into the darkness, Hermione continued down the path, now going at a much slower and much more cautious speed. Every sound, no matter how faint or mundane, gave her reason to suspect some foul creature or evil centaur was coming for her. Or the "white haired one." One _what_, Hermione wondered. Centaur? If so, then who set up all the counter spells that so plagued Snape? White haired human, then? Witch or wizard?

Hermione was startled from her ponderings when she heard hoof beats up ahead, barreling toward her. Before the girl could decide which way to run, a centaur shape became visible, heading straight for her.

With a faltering breath, Hermione stood her ground. She held her head as high as her rising fear would allow. Even without her wand, she would try to fight… she hoped.

When the figure came closer, Hermione saw it was none other than Erebos, eyes glazed over with the Imperius Curse. He stopped next to her and his front legs kneeled. To Hermione's complete surprise, the centaur sightlessly looked at her and said, "Get on."

----

**Next Update:** Hopefully under two weeks.

I didn't lose anyone with the time switching, did I?


	6. Chapter 6

**a.n.** So sorry this was nearly 3 weeks. x.x;; I think my interest in this is waning a little... but I'm definitely going to finish it. There shouldn't be too many more chapters. I hope. LoL.

_"That figures," muttered Ron. "Of course Snape would teach us a spell that doesn't work right." ..._

_"I wonder what the teachers were using," Harry sighed. With a huff, Ron began stomping off down the darker right path, his wand held out in front of him. _

_"Well, you can wait here a whole day until they come around and ask them."_

_"You don't have to be a git about it," Harry muttered, following. _

_--_

_The twins edged forward and found the three fifth years near the top of the stairs, waiting from them to move. _

_"So, we're not beating them up, but we're supposed to… teach them a lesson of sorts?" George checked. _

_"And rescue the plants," added Fred. With that, the twins zipped onto the bottom of the staircase just as it began to move. _

_-.-._

_She halted as well, but Snape pushed her forward and pointed further down the barely visible path. _

_"Go!" he ordered in his authoritative teacher voice, matched only by his domineering stare. Before Hermione could reply, he drew his wand and began backtracking. ..._

_Hermione was startled from her ponderings when she heard hoof beats up ahead, barreling toward her. ... _

_When the figure came closer, Hermione saw it was none other than Erebos, eyes glazed over with the Imperius Curse. He stopped next to her and his front legs kneeled. To Hermione's complete surprise, the centaur sightlessly looked at her and said, "Get on."_

**Chapter 6**

The moving staircase had nearly completed half its journey when Malfoy looked back and noticed two redheaded boys in Gryffindor work clothes. He pushed past his lackeys and sauntered self-importantly down the steps.

"Lost, Weasleys?" Draco called. Crabbe and Goyle occupied the step above Malfoy so the entire staircase was blocked.

Fred and George bounced up several steps, undaunted and grinning.

"Of course not. Why, are you?" smiled Fred. The staircase gave a jolt as it connected with the stone platform, but nobody moved.

"We were going to our House wing, and since we don't see any Gryffindors up this way, I'd say you were following us," Malfoy said with a snarl. The twins exchanged glances.

"Come to that conclusion all by yourself?" questioned George.

"I think he did," Fred agreed. "See the smoke coming out of his ears?" George rested an elbow on his twin's shoulder, wearing an identical grin. No one seemed to notice the staircase had once again started to move.

Draco gave the Gryffindors his dark, warning look, which the two had grown accustomed to over the years. "I suggest you just turn around and leave," he growled. The twins' pleasant expressions remained.

"Or what?" George asked.

"You'll tell your watchdog Snape?" Fred questioned.

"What _would_ you do without him?"

"Who would you cry to–"

"–that would actually listen?" George finished.

Malfoy pulled out his wand and couldn't seem to decide which brother to point it at. It kept zipping from one twin to the other while the Gryffindors stood there looking as if they hadn't a care in the world. By now the staircase had reached the platform leading to the Slytherin wing for the second time and still no one noticed.

"Why must it always come down to violence?" sighed Fred with a sad shake of his head. George mimicked his expression.

"Can't we all just get along?"

"What are you two idiots up to?" shouted Draco with a glare to kill.

"Isn't it obvious?" George asked quickly. Fred pointed to the bag in Malfoy's hand.

"The plants. It's all been about the plants."

Draco held the satchel at eye level, a conniving look consuming his face. He shook it tauntingly and snickered. "What, these? What could you two possibly want with these?" He held the bag out of their reach and safely behind the protection of his wand.

"Oh, y'know," shrugged George. "We found out human and animal sacrifices are frowned upon here so we thought we'd go to vegetation."

Malfoy blinked, a disgusted look on his features while his lackeys exchanged glances.

"Hey, you asked," Fred murmured. Draco vented an irritated and impatient growl before holding the satchel off to the side at arms length.

"Fine, you want it? Go fetch it," he spat as he let go. The bag dropped down out of sight. Fred, who was closest to that side, doubled over the railing as the staircase itself lurched to a stop on the Slytherin platform. He nearly fell over the side. But the twin quickly righted himself and pointed to the other rail, shouting, "Go!" He bounded to the other side, where George already had a foot on the railing, and both jumped over the side.

The three Slytherins stood there, staring in slight disbelief. Malfoy gave a shake of his head. "Moronic gits." He turned to lead the way to the House but found the staircase had already started moving again. Malfoy groaned and stomped over to the rail to wait. Glancing below, he nearly jumped upon seeing the twins standing on the next staircase lower, both holding one handle of the bag and inspecting the contents.

"Snape _will_ hear about this," Malfoy muttered.

--

A light. Of all the things they brought into the forest, why couldn't a light have been one of them? Harry and Ron could have muttered _Lumos_ until Judgment Day and it wouldn't have done them any good. They had thought to bring food– which Dobby was only too happy to supply– but they never thought of a lantern or a candle or anything.

The boys weren't even sure if they were on a path anymore. It wasn't pitch black. Rather, it was just dim; a bleak dimness settled over everything, making everything look exactly the same. Harry and Ron could have passed over a golden brick trail thinking it looked like a regular, overrun path.

"How long have we been walking?" moaned Ron, finally halting against a thick tree trunk. Harry stopped next to him.

"No idea. I don't even know what time it is. Feels like ages, though." Both boys wiped their brows.

"What if we can't find her?" Ron muttered. "What if no one finds _us_?"

Harry dug through his bag until he found his water. Opening it, he was disappointed to see only a little remained. "Of course we'll be found. Fred and George will be coming soon and we'll all find Hermione."

"How can you be so bloody optimistic?" Ron scoffed, beginning to search for his own water.

"Actually, I just said we'd find everyone. I never said we'd get out of the forest," said Harry, to which Ron appeared pacified.

After a few minutes, Ron swung his satchel over his shoulder. "So, we continue in this general direction?" he questioned. Harry tiredly got up.

"Why not?" he sighed. They tried more spells as they walked, like tracking and lighting, but nothing worked.

The Gryffindors stumbled on in silence, too exhausted to start up a conversation or voice their hopeless thoughts. They trudged forward mechanically. The thick dimness had an almost hypnotic effect and both boys found themselves growing sleepy. Ron began tiredly hurtling himself from tree to tree to keep from falling, but Harry pulled out his wand, his mind conjuring one last-ditch effort.

_"Expecto Patronum!"_ he called in a voice that surprised even him. A glowing stag appeared and trotted ahead of the boys, flooding the forest with its light. Harry and Ron, so accustomed to the darkness, were nearly blinded. It took a couple of minutes, but they recovered.

"Bloody brilliant," Ron said, shielding his eyes.

"Thanks. But why did this spell work when all the others didn't?" questioned Harry. Already sleepiness was fleeing from them. Ron no longer balanced on trees but walked next to his friend– in a little cheerier mood, no less.

"Don't know, and if this thing can lead us to Hermione, don't care." Nearly a minute later he added, "Can we ride it?"

-.-.

Snape stole back up the path, toward the centaur hoof beats. His wand was out and held protectively in front of him. Several bodies approached, one of which was the centaur leader Umahone. There were two other creatures whom Snape hadn't seen before, but on one's back was Lucius Malfoy. The ridden centaur didn't appear too happy.

"Severus!" Malfoy called upon nearing. He royally descended his mount in all his pureblood glory and stalked over to the Potions teacher, wand out. "It seems a powerful spell was cast right in this vicinity. Did you perhaps see who conjured it?" As he walked, his wand was constantly pointed at Snape, and his eyes betrayed which Unforgivable Curse he was thinking of.

"I heard a faint noise earlier and, like you, came to inspect," Severus replied cooly. "Perhaps a teacher has gotten past all your barricades?"

Lucius looked knowingly and with utter condemnation at Snape and didn't even try to hide the fact his wand was aimed for attack at the professor. "Perhaps." His head tilted back toward the centaurs but his eyes remained on his fellow Death Eater. "Jove, Ares, restrain him."

Snape backed up a pace as the two centaurs trotted forward. They were prepared; they had brought a bundle of rope, wrapped around their torsos. The two centaurs unwound the rope and readied it.

When it looked like Snape would retaliate, Lucius raised his wand, sticking it right in the teacher's face. "Do it and it'll be the last move you make." The professor's immediate reaction was furrowed brows, but he quickly replaced that with the perfect confused expression.

"What's the meaning of this?" Snape demanded. He again backed away as the centaurs drew closer.

"I have finally caught you in the act, Severus," gloated Malfoy, smiling. "And I shall inform the Dark Lord and hand you over to him so he can administer punishment."

The centaurs forced Snape's arms behind his back and tied his wrists together. The Potions teacher was glowering now. "You'll inform him about _what_, exactly? What did you catch me doing?"

"Trying to sabotage the counter spells to help those pathetic Hogwarts teachers find the captive–"

"Umahone!" a centaur shouted from the direction of the cell. He galloped down the path and slid to a stop next to the leader. "The prisoner's gone. Erebos was supposed to feed her, but he never reported back. We searched around and can't locate him, either."

"The girl's _gone_!" Lucius shouted at the centaurs. He then locked his glare onto Snape. "Where is she? How did you get past the guards?" Umahone scuffed a hoof on the ground.

"Nearly all the centaurs had gone on your orders, Malfoy, to check out the disturbance earlier," the leader spoke up. "No one was guarding the prisoner."

Lucius' eyes narrowed. "You're working with someone else, aren't you? Someone to cause distractions so you can rescue the captive?"

"You will try everything in your power to find something that just isn't there," Snape muttered to Malfoy. "And when you can't find your imaginary proof, you will merely make a new assumption until one day the Dark Lord will grow tired of your games."

Lucius was nearly toe-to-toe with the teacher. "Whose side are you on?" he asked slowly, glaring. Snape didn't reply; he just stared trancelike past Malfoy's shoulder, looking at nothing in particular. He didn't even seem to register the question when it was asked again.

With a growl, Malfoy took a great step backward, pointing his wand at Severus' and shouted, _"Prior Incantato!"_

Nothing happened.

The centaurs scuffed their hooves impatiently but otherwise made no noise. A shadow of a grin tugged at he corners of Snape's mouth.

"It appears that spell isn't powerful enough to be used here." Severus could have sworn he heard something snap inside of Malfoy. Lucius' eyes were wide with frenzied anger and he looked as if he would throw a tantrum. Instead, he just pointed his wand and shouted, _"Crucio!"_

-.-.

Fred and George whistled a harmonious tune as they headed back toward the forest. They took their time, even though it had started to rain, and had no more chance encounters with anyone else from the past. The twins reached the dark woods, soaked and smiling.

George checked for the spot where Hermione had been taken. "So, how long d'you think this'll be?" Fred shrugged and the satchel of plants slipped off his shoulder.

"Hopefully not too long. I'm a bit hungry," he replied, repositioning the bag. "But it's only a bit after noon and this time tomorrow Hermione still wasn't found."

"True, true," nodded George. He found Hermione's broken wand and pointed down a beaten trail. "I say we should get paid for our services. We're doing a charitable thing here."

"Quite right." Fred took out his wand and thought of a recently learned spell. Another ghostlike line appeared, but this one was much thicker– an obviously advanced spell. George followed his twin down the path and suddenly gave a scoff. "Did you have to bring the plants?"

"Yeah," shrugged Fred. "I couldn't leave them back at school. They'd be lonely."

--

Harry shook Ron's shoulder. "Wake up, we need to keep moving." The two had stopped to rest after what felt like ages of following the glowing white stag. Now, not only did Harry wish for some kind of light, but also for a watch.

"Go away," muttered Ron, rolling on his side.

"Let's go! I don't know how long we've been asleep, but we have to find Hermione as soon as possible," Harry said, again shaking the red headed boy. Just as Ron was about to give another protest, both boys heard thunderous hoof beats nearby. Harry instantly dropped to the ground and watched several shapes gallop past, headed in the direction the boys had been traveling.

The Gryffindors jumped up simultaneously once the centaurs had nearly disappeared down the path and carefully followed.

"How are Fred and George ever going to find us?" Ron whispered. He noticed several dry twigs littering the trail and avoided them just in time. Harry seemed distracted watching his feet as well.

"I… don't know. Maybe they'll make a series of lucky guesses."

Ron stopped in his tracks to look at his friend, "What, do you brew optimism in our dorm room when no one else is there?"

"Yeah," Harry said, grin cracking. "And I've run out of bottles so I started using the vials you stashed for your pessimism potion. Hope you don't mind." Ron merely gave a humorous snort and continued on.

A few minutes later, though, he ceded, "Yeah, where Fred and George aren't smart, they're lucky."

--

"In the for-est, the migh-ty for-est, the li-on sleeps to-niight," Fred sang in a high-pitched voice. "In the for-est, the dark, dark for-est, the li-on sleeps to-niiiight!" George jumped in then, harmonizing with his brother as they bounced along the trail, following the tracking spell. The twins began inventing their own dance steps as they went.

"Take it away, Weasley!" Fred called with a clap of his hands and a sashé. George sang in nearly an identically high voice, "Near the Slyth'rins, the sli-my Slith'rins, the lion lays in waait. Near the Slyth'rins, the dod-gy Slyth'rins, the lion lays in waaiiiit." As if on cue, the brothers started the same cha-cha move at the same time, singing, "Ga-riff-in-dor, Ga-riff-in-dor, Ga-riff-in-dor, Ga-riff-in-dor..."

Their song melted away as they came to a fork in the path. It was the same fork Harry and Ron had been stopped at earlier, but the twins' tracking line veered in the right direction– down the used trail. However, it became fainter and wispier.

"Are these spells ever supposed to run out?" George questioned in a whisper, swishing his wand repeatedly through the white strand.

"I don't think so. But then again, this _is_ the forest even some of the teachers are afraid of. There could be all kinds of horrid, dodgy things in here," Fred whispered back.

"Like Slytherins," George said. The twins crept silently down the right-hand trail for a moment, then broke out into their song again and began skipping.

-.-.

Erebos had to have been galloping for ten minutes straight. Or at least that's what it felt like. There had been no sign of pursuit or Snape, and Hermione was beginning to wonder what had happened. However, it was hard to accomplish any kind of productive thinking with Erebos' loud, distracting hoof beats.

All of a sudden the centaur skidded to a halt as a loud, low horn pierced the stifling quiet of the forest. Before Hermione could ask what was going on, Erebos dashed into thicker brush and hid as low to the ground as possible. His passenger toppled off onto the ground and stayed just as still.

Several centaurs trampled past then, coming from the direction Erebos had been heading. Hermione didn't know if the horn had anything to do with her, but if it did, she would have every centaur within miles coming after her. And a sinking feeling in her gut told her she was right.

Erebos stood up and forged his way back through the brush. After a quick check up and down the path, he motioned for Hermione to follow. She slowly came out. Everything was once again silent and there was no sign of any other centaurs as Erebos let the Gryffindor climb onto his back.

"Where are we going?" she asked, clutching to his shoulders when he stood up. The creature didn't answer; in fact he made no indication he had heard her at all. He just took a quick scan of the vicinity one last time and galloped down the path to a destination Hermione couldn't even guess. She just hoped Snape was sending her back to the safety of Hogwarts.

----

**Next Update:** 2 - 3 weeks…?


	7. Chapter 7

**a.n.** Wow. This is well over three weeks and I am so very sorry about that. All I can say is that late August I moved into college and have been trying to get into the swing of things here. I'm still trying to balance all my time. I'm not dead, and neither is this story. But however many chapters are left to come will be a lot longer in coming, probably. Just be patient with me, please. )

I had a test in my Japanese/Chinese Religion class today over Buddhism and I don't think I did too well. So finishing up this chapter was helpful and made the day a bit fun. hehe. And just so you remember, -- means just a different POV and -.-. means skipping from past to present or whatever. Anyway, on with the story:

_Severus could have sworn he heard something snap inside of Malfoy. Lucius' eyes were wide with frenzied anger and he looked as if he would throw a tantrum. Instead, he just pointed his wand and shouted, "_Crucio!"

-.-.

_Just as Ron was about to give another protest, both boys heard thunderous hoof beats nearby. Harry instantly dropped to the ground and watched several shapes gallop past, headed in the direction the boys had been traveling. _

_The Gryffindors jumped up simultaneously once the centaurs had nearly disappeared down the path and carefully followed. _

-.-.

_"Where are we going?" she asked, clutching to his shoulders when he stood up... He just took a quick scan of the vicinity one last time and galloped down the path to a destination Hermione couldn't even guess. She just hoped Snape was sending her back to the safety of Hogwarts. _

**Chapter 7**

The Weasley twins' songs had long since ceased. They were tired, parched, and had been mechanically trudging forward, leaning on each other most of the time. Their eyes were dull and screamed half-asleep of boredom.

"Last night I thought this rescue was a good idea," muttered George. His twin clung to his arm in such a way that George bore the brunt of the weight.

"Don't you mean tonight?" corrected Fred exhaustedly.

"Probably. But since I don't know what time it is now, it could very well have been last night."

"So what you saying?" Fred asked in a mumble, too tired to speak correctly. "Giving up?"

"No, but if you insist…" At that George collapsed to his knees, dragging Fred down with him. Neither moved. They caught their breath and stared tiredly off into space. After what seemed like ages of silence, Fred finally spoke up.

"So was this a bad idea, d'you think?"

"We always have bad ideas. This just might not have been one of our best," George muttered tiredly. "But we shouldn't give up."

Fred gave a humorous scoff. "I never said anything about giving up. I just want to make sure you'll be the one to blame if this blows up in our faces. And if you get us killed, I won't wanna be buried next to you." George shoved his brother then, making Fred flop onto his side. Before the inevitable argument could break out, the twins' attentions were captured by hoof beats nearby, trotting in the opposite direction the Gryffindors had been traveling. It sounded like there was a good number of them and that they were in no great hurry.

Cautiously, the brothers peered around tree trunks and foliage at the small herd and watched as they thumped along at a leisurely pace. The boys exchanged glances. Their expressions were clear, concise, and shared: if saving Hermione was too much trouble, the next best thing would be to take out as many centaurs as wizardly possible. And their gazes told each other to use every trick in the book.

Fred and George popped up then, wands at the ready. Pointing randomly, they rattled off one spell after another. They included fire, water, flying, brightness, enlargement, shrinking, freezing, combustion, and many others. Some just made loud noises and some didn't work altogether; but it all caught the centaurs' attentions.

A few of them reared at the leaves and branches flying about, the loud, sudden sounds, bursts of water, and general chaos. The centaur in the lead grabbed up the carved horn hanging around his neck and sent a piercing signal that shot through the twins' shenanigans and dispersed in all directions.

-.-.

Snape gave a s harp hiss as pain bolted all throughout his body. Their little group was still in the middle of the path and Lucius was coming up with spell after torturous spell. He wasn't even trying to pry information from the teacher anymore.

Snape didn't know what spells were being used; his head was pounding so hard it was impossible to hear anything. All that registered to him was a new spike of pain. He could feel the Cruciatus Curse had been given up what seemed like ages ago, but everything Lucius had been using since still hurt incredibly.

Blood was streaming from his mouth and numerous places on his body where he had cut himself while writhing in agony on the hard path. His robes, though black, were growing damp with noticeable crimson stains that made his clothes even darker.

The centaurs standing around watched the scene unfolding with unpitying gazes. They had no sympathy for Severus, or any human really, but their features showed their distaste for Malfoy's actions.

Finally Umahone stomped a hoof. "Enough! He obviously does not know where the prisoner went, and even if he did, he's in no condition to tell you anything!"

Lucius spun with amazing speed, expression still crazed. "What?" he spat. "Going soft? Feeling _sorry_ for him?" At that, the centaurs' gazes collectively hardened.

"No, I am witnessing a human growing more unfit for leadership. You represent your master poorly."

"I represent the Dark Lord _perfectly_!" cried Malfoy. He took a threatening step forward and the centaur leader didn't even flinch.

"In that case, we have overestimated you humans," Umahone muttered.

"You swore your loyalty, remember!" the white haired man shouted accusingly.

"We did, and when it comes down to war, we will fight on Voldemort's side– not under him and certainly not under you." Umahone trotted forward and stood hoof-to-toe with Lucius. Malfoy just reached his shoulder and looked anything but threatening. "When your task here is done and you return to your master," the leader spat darkly, "deliver this message to him from Umahone of the Stronghoof Clan: His next representative had better be someone more qualified, for if any of our herd catches you in this forest again, be it on Voldemort's business or not, you will never again see the outside world."

It was hard to see, since everything was dark in the forest, but Malfoy's face was slowly growing the color of his hair. Umahone didn't detect it, but from the rest of Lucius' expression, it was obvious the man was affected.

The centaur leader gave a horse-like snort before motioning for the others in his clan to follow. They galloped back up the path, headed for the caves, leaving the two humans in the middle of the trail.

Lucius didn't move for the longest time. A series of expressions crossed his face, making him look worried, exhausted, angry, and finally vengeful. His glare landed on Snape, who was just trying to catch his breath.

_"Crucio!"_ Malfoy shouted. Severus couldn't suppress his screams on this last attack. As the seconds lagged on, Lucius sank even deeper into anger and annoyance since this surprisingly wasn't helping him to feel any better. Finally he gave a harsh flick of his wand and Snape stopped writhing. He stopped moving entirely and appeared unconscious. Malfoy turned on his heel and stomped back toward the caves, leaving Severus alone in the middle of a path in a dark, foreboding forest.

-.-.

Harry and Ron tiredly wheezed as they fought to keep a constant speed– even if that speed was no faster than jogging. It felt like they had been running for ages. The centaurs they had been following were by now far ahead and the boys hadn't run across any more creatures.

For as tired as they were, they kept a pretty good pace… until something made them skid to a stop. From somewhere behind them, a horn sounded, loud and long. Almost immediately in answer, similar horns and heavy hoof beats could be heard up ahead.

Ron and Harry looked at each other worriedly before diving off the trail. Not too long after, a large herd of centaurs came crashing by, shaking the earth and raising clouds of dirt which the Gryffindors tried not to cough at. They waited until the group had passed before standing. And just as they started brushing themselves off, they heard another herd coming. They barely got down in time.

Just as quickly as the second centaur group came, they vanished down the trail. Harry and Ron exchanged confused glances through the clouds of dirt, but stayed down this time in case any more creatures were on their way. Not long after, the dark centaur Snape had stopped and questioned galloped down the path, mumbling about humans and their annoyances.

"What was all _that_ about?" Ron muttered several moments after the creature had vanished from sight. The boys slowly stood, carefully checking their surroundings.

"It wouldn't have anything to do with Hermione, would it?" questioned Harry. He brushed some dirt off his sleeve and readjusted his glasses.

"I don't know," Ron replied, irritably rubbing his eyes. "But I think we should just continue going in… this… general direction. _Away_ from the centaurs."

They stumbled back onto the path and continued their journey in silence for the longest time. Finally, Ron asked, "Do you think the Headmaster and them have found her by now?"

Harry couldn't stop a tired chuckle from escaping. "Probably. No doubt they have spells that actually work." Ron nodded sluggishly and the two continued on for what seemed like ages.

Then they stopped. A second horn sounded far to the right of them. It couldn't be an answering to the first horn, because that could've been an hour ago or more. Harry and Ron glanced at each other with unreadable expressions and continued on in silence.

--

Hermione had been noticing for awhile that Erebos was tiring; his pace was slowing and his hooves fell harder on the trail. But he didn't complain. In fact, he hadn't talked at all since he started galloping again.

"Erebos, do you need a break?" the girl called over his hoof beats. The centaur again didn't respond. Hermione nudged his shoulder for attention; she knew it would be a mistake to pull on his hair or fur. "Just stop for a bit… STOP!"

And he did.

All hooves on the path, Erebos skidded to a halt, dispersing a cloud of dirt behind him. He looked back at her with eyes glazed over with the Imperious Curse, but still said nothing. The creature wobbled. Suddenly his legs gave out and he came crashing down on his left side. Hermione, as the centaur was tipping, half-fell, half-jumped to the ground and rolled safely out of the way of the horse body. However, her injured arm was irritated.

Hermione knelt on the trail for the longest time, cradling her arm. When she finally began to get up, she noticed Erebos lying not too far away, the only visible movement being his heavy breathing.

The girl hurried over and dropped next to him. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" she quickly asked. Hermione took a quick glance around in the silence that followed. "Where have you been taking me?" she sighed, half to herself.

"The edge of the forest," Erebos coughed. The reply was so unexpected it made her jump.

"And how close are we to there?" she asked slowly.

"Maybe a half-hour gallop," replied the centaur between breaths. "I have been circling around… hiding our trail." His horse tail swished feebly and he gave a long sigh as if about ready to sleep.

"So we're possibly further into the forest than when we started?" Hermione questioned, a hint of accusation slipping into her voice. Erebos looked at her with dulled eyes and made a face which clearly told her to back down. When the girl kept quiet, Erebos pushed himself into a sitting position, suddenly alert. His gaze zipped up and down one side of the path.

"What, do you hear something?" whispered Hermione. Just then she noticed two figures nearly stumble out of the trees and onto the trail up ahead. She could tell they were human, but not much else. They seemed to be looking in her direction.

"What's over there?" one asked in a whisper that carried much farther than it was supposed to. At that, Hermione stood up and called, "Harry?"

--

Snape pushed himself up from the blood-splattered ground and his head lagged left and right as he tried to remember where his wand had been carelessly tossed. Finally, he reached out a hand, a powerful summoning spell running through the back of his mind, and his wand came flying from some faraway underbrush. The professor turned and walked down the trail away from the centaur caves. He was done dealing with Malfoy. In fact, he was even plotting on how to expose that baseless man to Voldemort.

He fumed about this as he ventured on and was only aware at the last minute of voices not too far off the path.

"Think we lost 'em?" one asked tiredly.

"We've been running for ages… we must have," a similar voice replied. Snape's eyes narrowed at their familiar sound. Not much later, the pair traipsed onto the path a few yards in front of the man and his suspicions– and fears– were confirmed. The two saw Snape, also, and stopped dead in mid-step.

"Professor!" the redheaded twins cried in disbelief. One of the boys' (Snape couldn't tell which) jaw fell slack.

"Didn't I leave you two washing the hall?" demanded the teacher, glaring daggers. The Weasleys exchanged glances.

"We're back in the present!" Fred whispered with a grin.

"It's about time," muttered George.

"It's all been about time since we came in here," replied Fred with a snicker. His smile promptly dropped when he noticed Snape nearly breathing down his neck. The twin jumped and ran behind George.

"What are you two doing this far in the forest?" growled the teacher, holding his wand as if he wanted to turn the Weasleys into some kind of wood-dwelling creatures and leave them there.

"We were… on a field trip in a group–" George began.

"–Big group," added Fred, momentarily popping above his brother's shoulder.

"–and we must have taken a wrong turn–"

"Shut up, just shut up," growled Snape. He slid a hand down his anger-contorted face. With a huff, the teacher walked past them and muttered over his shoulder, "I'm going back to Hogwarts. If that's where you're headed, keep up."

The Weasleys didn't have to ask each other; they instantly followed Snape– at a constant distance the whole time.

--

"Hermione?" Harry called back. Without waiting for a reply, both boys raced forward and Hermione made to do the same. However, Erebos suddenly jumped up and stood in her way, also blocking the boys from her. Harry and Ron skidded to a stop nearly an arm's length away from the creature.

"Uh… make a new friend, Hermione?" Ron questioned with wide eyes. He even staggered back a step.

"He's just under the Imperious Curse," she said, glancing over his horse body. Harry gave a helpless, hollow laugh.

"Oh, is that all?"

"He's supposed to take me to the edge of the forest."

"That's what _we_ were planning on doing," Ron said, not taking his wide eyes off the centaur.

"Who cursed him?" questioned Harry.

"Professor Snape."

"WHAT?" cried the boys with so much ardor that Erebos took a threatening step forward and made them both shrink back.

"I don't know who, but someone from You-Know-Who is here, and I think he's after you, Harry," said Hermione.

"You just said it– Professor _Snape_ is here. That's who was sent," Ron interjected with a furrowed brow. He continued to watch Erebos for any possible sudden movements.

"No, you see, Snape helped me get away," the girl explained. "He saved me from You-Know-Who's man."

As Ron babbled incoherently about this whole idea, Harry thought aloud, "If Voldemort was trying to kidnap me, why did he bring _you_ all the way in here?"

Hermione shivered and held her sweater closed. "I don't know, but if you don't mind, I'd rather we get out of here soon. Those centaurs may still be lurking around." When the girl tugged on Erebos' hand for him to kneel down, Ron and Harry finally noticed how awkwardly she held her other arm and asked if something was wrong with it.

"Probably," she sighed, climbing on the centaur's back, "but I don't know what. Even Snape couldn't fix it." At that, Ron glowered.

"Can we please stop talking about him?"

Hermione smiled and nudged Erebos to get up and lead on toward the forest edge. She didn't offer the boys a ride and they dared not ask. They didn't seem to mind walking, anyway. Now that they had found Hermione and were following someone that actually knew the way, the whole forest just seemed a bit brighter.

----

**Next Update:** I don't know when, but it'll probably be the last chapter.


	8. Chapter 8

**a.n. **I'm not even going to try to make an excuse for this hiatus because there is none. But Happy New Year's! :D

**Chapter 8**

The twins were waiting at the edge of the forest when the fifth years emerged, one riding a centaur. The brothers hesitantly approached. The younger Gryffindors hardly took notice of them as they helped Hermione down from a twitching Erebos who seemed to be coming out of his curse-induced trance. He held his forehead, rubbed his eyes, and shook his whole head in a horseish way. When the centaur finally looked down at the three in front of him, his eyes were no longer cloudy.

"How are you feeling, Erebos?" Hermione asked softly. The creature backed up as he finally started to take in his surroundings. Hogwarts could clearly be seen, though no students were wandering the grounds, and the sun beamed down pleasantly, not a single rain cloud in the sky.

"How did I get here?" he demanded quickly, his voice harsh but his expression betraying his fear.

"You brought me back… to save me," replied the girl. She took a step forward, motioning for him to calm down. However, Erebos was threatened by the movement and he reared. Ron and Harry pulled Hermione back and the three watched as the centaur turned around and galloped back into the forest.

"Bloody jumpy, that one," muttered Ron once Erebos had disappeared into the deep shadows.

"Well done, gents," called Fred as the twins finally approached.

"But even with your head start, Snape still beat you to it," said George, snickering. Hermione cast a curious glance at her friends.

"Head start?" Her gaze became harder the more the boys tried to appear innocent until Harry was finally guilted into pulling the necklace from inside his shirt.

"You used the Time Turner?" she cried. Ron backed up a pace and slightly hid behind Harry.

"Only to help you. If we hadn't, we would've never known what happened to you and we wouldn't have been able to go rescue you," Harry replied quickly, Ron nodding to everything he said.

"Right," said Hermione with a little huff. "Good job done there. If it wasn't for Snape, you wouldn't have even found me. I'd probably still be in that creepy tree jail cell." Harry and Ron balked at that, but the twins jumped in before an awkward silence could settle on the group.

"There, there, love," George said lightly, waltzing over and linking arms with her. "We'd still be lost in there if Snape hadn't found us, either."

"But cheer up," added Fred, coming up and linking arms on her other side. "Because we've rescued these for you." He brought the bag of plants out from behind his back and presented them to her with a "tada!" Hermione gave an ecstatic squeal as she snatched them back, but her enthusiasm dropped from her features when she actually saw the condition of her homework.

"Oh… they've all wilted." The bushy-haired girl looked up at the twins. "You could've at least put a spell on them to–"

"Hey," cut in Fred, "we stood up to Malfoy and his beasts for those."

"And then climbed all over the forest to give them back to you," added George. Hermione shrunk slightly under their stares.

"You're right. I appreciate this. With a little searching, I'm sure I can find a spell to undo the damage you two have inflicted…" The twins took this as her apology and gave her a hug.

"By the way," George said as the group began heading toward the school. "Snape's waiting for all of you in Dumbledore's office."

"And Hermione," Fred called. The girl stopped and looked back at the brothers. "You need a shower." With a contorted face at the twins, Ron guided Hermione on toward Hogwarts, but not before she could snap, "So do you two!"

The fifth years walked on in silence, leaving Fred and George to argue which of them smelled worse. Halfway to the headmaster's office, Hermione noticed she was in the lead. She slowed a little, looking back at her friends with concern. "Are you okay?"

Harry gave a sluggish half-shrug. "Just tired's all." He seemed to brighten and say, "But we're the ones who should be asking you that. How's your arm?" Hermione put on a brave face.

"It still hurts, but I can go to the infirmary later." Even through her dirty sweater, the boys could see it was swollen. They continued on in sympathetic silence to the statue marking the headmaster's office. McGonagal was standing next to the statue, her emotions well hidden as the trio approached. There wasn't a spark of friendliness or reassurement in her features, but neither was there condemnation. She was perfectly emotionless.

The teacher waited for all three to gather round the statue before saying, "Pastry puff."

"We're in trouble, aren't we?" Ron muttered once McGonagal had been blocked from sight. His dismal expression was mirrored by the other two.

"If anyone's in trouble," Hermione spoke up quietly, "it should be me. I'll take the blame."

"No, if anyone should be blamed, let it be Malfoy," said Harry in something close to a growl. Ron and Hermione glanced up to him instantly, looking confused and humored at the same time.

"Malfoy?" Hermione almost laughed. Harry shrugged.

"Well, yeah. If it wasn't for him stealing your plants, you couldn't have stayed in the forest long enough for the centaurs to capture you, and we wouldn't have had to steal the Time Turner and go rescue you."

Ron grinned. "All right, it's Malfoy's fault. I like that, yeah."

By the time the three student entered the headmaster's office, all of them were a bit cheerier, wearing content expressions. Even seeing Snape scowling down at them didn't damper their fresh spirits. He was the only teacher in the office, standing before the headmaster's desk, looking just as dirtied– if not dirtier than the kids.

Dumbledore, though looking serious, could not stop a grin from growing on his face. "You worried us," he merely said, his statement directed to all of them. Hermione, however, interpreted it differently.

"I know," she mumbled with a bowed head, "and I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been in the forest on my own–"

"And _you two_," Snape cut in, pointing to the boys, "shouldn't have followed her. I saw you all coming out of the wood. Fifty points from Gryffindor for such reckless behavior… each." Instantly, the boys put on pitiful faces, appealing to Dumbledore. The headmaster merely nodded.

"Extremely reckless. Even Fred and George followed you in. I cannot stress how serious and dangerous that was, traversing unsupervised in the Forbidden Forest," he said, not unkindly. His knowing gaze rested on Harry. "But you found your way quickly through such unfamiliar territory after Hermione disappeared."

The fifth years exchanged guilty glances and Harry reluctantly reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the Time Turner. Dumbledore didn't even bat an eye as the necklace was set on his desk, but Snape started.

"Where did you get that, Potter?" the professor nearly shouted.

"Professor McGonagal's office," Ron offered quietly, staring at the same spot on the floor as his friends. Snape seemed to be amassing a terrible lecture unlike anything they had ever heard, littered with detentions and whatnot, but Dumbledore spoke first.

"Your bravery is commendable, but you three need to learn that some things need to be left to the teachers. I hope nothing like this happens again," he said, pointedly looking at Hermione, "but if it does, and you disregard authority again, you will be punished severely." The students nodded dumbly.

"Now," Dumbledore continued in a kinder voice, "I do not see the point in scolding you any further, especially in this state, so I suggest you all pay a visit to the infirmary. You too, professor."

With relieved sighs, the fifth years returned to the rotating stairs, spurred on by the unfriendly, dark presence on their heels. Once the stone statue was back in place, Harry and Ron shot into the hallway, practically racing each other to get away from Snape, figuring Hermione was right behind them.

Severus strode at a slower pace than usual, letting the Gryffindors get far ahead. He certainly did not want to be around them more than he had to. He was also trying to give the bushy-haired one plenty of space as well, but she was walking rather slow as well. With his face rigidly set in an expression of annoyance, Snape quickened his step to pass her.

"Professor," came the hesitant voice from beside him. He glared down at Hermione, but she continued with an unusual air of courage. "I want to… thank you for saving me from the centaurs. I don't think I've ever been so scared in my entire life."

Snape thought twice about giving a snide remark and instead said, "Then hopefully it won't happen again." He continued on. Hermione matched his pace.

"Did they attack you?" she asked with a hint of concern. The teacher noticed she was staring intently at a long cut on his arm covered in dark blood and dirt that practically blended in with his robes. He quickly repositioned his sleeve to hide the gash.

"I ran into some resistance, yes," he mumbled.

Hermione was hurrying now to keep up with the professor. "Why would they be so violent? They usually leave humans alone… I read about it in–"

"Centaurs, like all creatures, are not entirely predictable, Miss Granger," interrupted Snape irritably. That jab did not keep her silent as long as such remarks used to.

"I've noticed that," the girl muttered.

They walked in silence, Hermione still keeping up with him, somewhat to his displeasure. When the infirmary was in sight, she again spoke.

"Professor, how did you know where I was? It took Erebos ages to bring me back–"

"Erebos?"

"The centaur. He was familiar with the forest, yet you got back to the school before we did."

"I had him try to hide his trail," Snape replied, stopping. "But what are you implying?"

"Nothing," was Hermione's automatic reply, but after a visible gulp, she added, "Who was the man sent by V… Vol… demort?" She flinched as she said the name as if expecting the Dark Lord to be summoned by it.

The teacher's countenance hardened instantly. "And you assume I know?"

"Please, professor. I think that man had me kidnapped, possibly as a way to get to Harry, but _please_. I deserve to know."

"That's a bold statement," Snape said with the utmost belittlement. Before Hermione could reply, Harry leaned out into the hallway.

"Are you coming?"

--

Fred and George were sitting on one infirmary bed, bandaged here and there, each holding a lollipop, and smiling pleasantly. Their smiles dropped the moment Snape entered and they found interest in a spot on the floor.

"I told you two already," Madam Pomfrey quipped, bustling over to Hermione, "you can leave. Get out of my infirmary."

"Yes," the Potions teacher added, "why don't you return to the front hall and resume your detention?"

"Do y'hear that, George?" Fred spoke up suddenly, cupping a hand to one ear.

"Yes, I do believe that's McGonagal calling us…" And the two jumped off the bed and hurried toward the closest door, deaf to the protests thrown by Snape.

Harry and Ron, despite Pomfrey's attempts to throw them out as well, stayed seated on the foot of Hermione's cot, both casting suspicious glances Snape's way every now and then. The Potions teacher refused to stay overnight in the infirmary and instead stood impatiently as the nurse tended to his injuries. He was bandaged and gone within ten minutes.

The two boys tried to make light conversation, not mentioning anything that happened in what felt like the last two days, but Hermione could not keep up with them. She tried to stay interested in their stories of Hogsmeade and homework, but she was soon fast asleep. After a quick look around to confirm the infirmary was vacant, Harry and Ron took the beds on either side of Hermione and drifted off to sleep not much later.

--

"Ron, wake up!" shouted Harry, shaking his friend's shoulders hard. The redhead gave a sleepy protest and tried to roll on his side, away from Harry. But after a few more shakes, he finally squinted his eyes open.

"Wut? Lemme 'lone," Ron muttered.

"Hermione's gone," said Harry firmly. Ron instantly jumped out of bed, wide-eyed, and gave a haphazard sweeping glance of the room. They were the only two in the dark infirmary. The only light came from the waning moon. The clock on the other side of the room pointed the time out to be nearly four in the morning.

"How long's she been gone?" cried Ron as both boys hurried for the exit.

"I just woke up myself… no idea."

--

The wind had finally died down, leaving the air around Hermione stinging cold. The infirmary blanket she held tight around her with her good hand did almost nothing to keep her from shivering. She stood near the forest, watching the opening Erebos had made when he crashed through to bring her back to Hogwarts.

Hermione wanted to see him again. Besides her unquenchable curiosity when it came to anything in the world of magic, the girl genuinely wanted to befriend him, to know him. If he could see that not all humans were as bad as the stories he was no doubt fed, maybe he would not be so harsh in his judgments. He might even be understanding.

A sound not too far inside the line of trees startled her back into reality and she instinctively hunched down. Though that hardly helped since she was still out in the open in full view of the school. If anything, it helped her look like a bump on the lawn. Dark shapes were barely visible to her in the deep shadows, but Hermione could tell there were only a few. She urged her tired mind to come up with possible suggestions of what they might be: Hagrid, centaurs, the man Voldemort sent…. But she did not expect to see the Potions teacher come stomping out of the forest, the other shadowy figure staying inside the line of trees. He seemed sidetracked inside his own mind, scowling as he trampled toward the school, but something as large as a wounded, wide-eyed student even caught his distracted attention.

His hiss sounded thrice as loud in the dark morning hours. _"Granger!" _He stalked over. "If you're not back inside in the next _second_, Gryffindor loses half its points!" Hermione was visibly shaken.

"I'm sorry, professor!" she whispered back, an adequate volume. "I didn't think you'd… I mean, I was looking for… well—" Snape pointed harshly toward school.

"Go."

Hermione stole a glance back at the forest. The creature was still there, watching. She looked back to the teacher. "I was hoping I could see that centaur once more, sir…" His eyes hardened.

"I want you to forget the incident with the centaurs as quickly as you can."

Hermione blinked, trying to comprehend. "Incident? They kidnapped me and held me prisoner!" She tried to match Snape's intimidating gaze. "I'm going to research and get to the bottom of this and see why—"

"Granger!" the man snapped with a harshness that made her jump. "It would be wiser if you just left it alone. You don't know what you're getting yourself into." He motioned for her to head into the school. "The teachers will take care of it," he added when her expression turned curious.

With one more glance to the forest, Hermione noted that the figure was gone. She turned and meandered back to Hogwarts. Snape walked several paces away, far enough away to avoid conversation but close enough to escort her into the gate. He looked impatient with her speed.

Hermione stopped once she reached the stairs. "Thank you, professor," she said softly, not looking at him.

"For what?" At first Hermione thought his reply just a snarl.

"For saving me. Thank you." She edged up the stairs to the front doors.

"If I hadn't, one of the other teachers would have found you. I just reached you first. Don't dwell on it, Granger."

Once she reached the top of the steps, she looked once more toward the trees. It was one solid shade of black now inside the trees and she could not even discern the tree trunks, but she could _feel_ something watching her. She fought back a smile; maybe there was hope for Erebos yet.

Right as the two of them entered the hall, two Gryffindors skidded to a halt further down; Harry and Ron had been running toward the front doors and now were stopped in their tracks. Snape eyed them as he and Hermione proceeded, and they eyed back.

"Take Miss Granger back to the infirmary," he ordered stiffly. "And if I catch any of you anywhere else in the school tonight, I'm giving you all detention." Harry and Ron beckoned for Hermione to cross over to their side.

"Fred and George were given detention for being outside the school," Ron spoke up almost defiantly. "At least we're inside."

"Your brothers were given detention because they stole my student's homework," Snape informed with superiority, swishing past the three Gryffindors.

"That wouldn't happen to have been Malfoy's Herbology homework, would it?" Harry called after him, real defiance in his tone. Snape stopped and glanced back.

"And if it is?"

The boys began herding Hermione to the infirmary and Harry called over his shoulder, "If it wasn't for Malfoy, Hermione wouldn't have been in danger." He turned to follow his friends and did not notice the teacher grimace at his words.

--

Hermione climbed back into her cot in the infirmary. Her friends sat on her bed again, much more awake than she was.

"What were you doing out there?" Ron practically chided. "Y'mental?"

"I don't know, I thought I might see Erebos again." When her response was met with quizzical stares, she added, "The centaur."

"Why?" questioned Harry. "He's one of your kidnappers."

Hermione smirked. "No, he was just the one who brought me food. If we had met under different circumstances, we might have become friends…" Harry and Ron traded glances.

"Are you joking? He's a centaur," objected Ron. Hermione's grin faded, replaced by a sadder expression.

"Which is why we would have had to have different circumstances. If Voldemort wasn't interested in recruiting them. If we were able to just meet peacefully and talk…" Her sleepy voice trailed off and her eyes fought to stay open.

"Get some sleep, Hermione." Harry touched her hand. "You'll feel better in the morning."

"Yeah. And don't go out trying to get yourself kidnapped by those things again," added Ron. Harry snipped at him reproachfully, but Hermione heard none of it; she was already asleep. When the boys realized this, they stopped their quipping.

"She's prolly gonna keep going back to the wood looking for him," Harry said quietly, to which Ron grunted in agreement.

"Should we try to keep her away from it, or go with her next time?" Ron considered the question for a moment.

"Maybe we should try to get her back on the house elf obsession so she forgets about the centaurs," he suggested, to which Harry snickered.

--

Outside, Erebos stood well inside the darkness of the forest watching the school grounds. After Snape and Hermione had gone inside, nothing else stirred.

The centaur would be nowhere close to the edge of the wood if Snape had not sent for him, wanting an update of the happenings in the clan. He seemed smug when Erebos told him Voldemort's blond-haired man stormed off when his prisoners had disappeared and when the centaurs told him the teachers were getting too close for comfort. Umahone nearly threw him to the humans right there. He also barred any other humans coming to the caves for the next two moons, thus the need for Snape to call a centaur to him.

Erebos scraped a hoof on the ground in a twitchy sort of way. He had always been told how double-faced the human species was— how cruel they were, but now he really didn't know what to think about the bushy-haired one. She seemed sincere. As she had been taken back to the castle building by the black-clad human, she had dropped something. It took Erebos nearly five minutes of debating before crossing onto the school grounds and retrieving it, even though it took him a few trots to reach it. It was a note written in a tidy scrawl.

_Erebos, _

_I hope to meet you again soon. I will try to wait by the forest in the evening whenever I can. If I see you again, I would like to be friends. Hope you are well,_

_Hermione_

The note was tightly crumpled in his fist. She sounded sincere enough. But she would have to wait. It would be a long time before he would be willing to meet her. The clan came first and she was a human of all things.

But maybe someday.

**a.n.** Fin! Several years later. D: I'm really sorry about not putting up the last chapter (I always wanted to make an 8-chapter story, btw. Totally irrelevant, but true). I have this problem about not wanting to finish stories… I don't like ending things, I think. Thus the insanely huge hiatus. I doubt anyone stuck with this story. XD But hope this ending was sufficient. I came back to finish up the last chapter and I had to remember where I was going with it. lol. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed!


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